Overview

• Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Hetero Labs announced plans to sell generic lenacapavir for roughly $40 per person per year starting in 2027.
• The twice-yearly injection, approved as Yeztugo and shown to be nearly 100% effective in large trials, will be offered under Gilead’s royalty-free licences covering 120 low- and lower‑middle‑income countries, pending approvals.
• Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Wits RHI are supporting Dr Reddy’s, while the Gates Foundation is partnering with Hetero to fund and accelerate low-cost production initially based in India.
• Gilead is working with the Global Fund and the U.S. government to provide reduced-price branded doses to up to 2 million people starting this year, with first units expected to reach at least one African country by year-end.
• Advocates note gaps for upper‑middle‑income countries excluded from the licences and warn that regulatory and financing hurdles remain as experts project long-term demand of about 10 million people or more.