HIV Prevention Injection to Be Available for Just $40 a Year Worldwide

A breakthrough in HIV prevention is on the horizon: lenacapavir, an injectable drug proven to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9%, will soon be available for as little as $40 a year (around 1 million VND) in over 100 countries starting in 2027.

Currently sold under the brand name Yeztugo by U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, the drug costs about $28,000 per year (over 700 million VND) in the United States.

Game-Changing Generic Versions

According to a joint announcement on September 24 from Unitaid and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, several licensed pharmaceutical companies will begin producing generic versions of lenacapavir. Generics, developed after a drug’s patent expires, contain the same active ingredients and offer identical efficacy—at a fraction of the price.

The injection, administered once every six months, is the first long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment approved to prevent HIV infection.

Partnerships Driving Access

• Unitaid has partnered with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (India), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Wits RHI to ensure affordable distribution in more than 120 countries from 2027.

• The Gates Foundation has also announced collaboration with Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero to scale up production.

Voices of Optimism

Carmen Perez Casas, Unitaid’s HIV strategy lead, emphasized:

“Affordable generics are key to expanding access. This injectable has the potential to end HIV transmission.”

Trevor Mundel, head of global health at the Gates Foundation, echoed this sentiment:

“Scientific progress only matters if it reaches the people who need it most.”

Interim Measures Before Generics Arrive

While the generics are being developed, Gilead and the Global Fund have agreed to supply lenacapavir at reduced prices for low-income nations. Earlier this month, Washington confirmed its continued commitment to this initiative under the 2024 agreement, despite recent foreign aid cuts announced by President Donald Trump.

The initiative follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Yeztugo in June 2025, with the first doses expected to reach at least one African nation by the end of this year.