It is a true turning point in the fight against AIDS. Lenacapavir, an innovative antiretroviral drug that made headlines following the presentation of its clinical trial results in July 2024, will be made available at an affordable price in 120 low and middle-income countries starting in 2027. Two separate agreements, which have been negotiated in record time with generic drug manufacturers, will allow this treatment. It has demonstrated exceptional effectiveness in HIV prevention with just two injections per year and will be distributed for $40 (€34) annually.

This price puts the cost of the injection on par with daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the most widely used preventive pill for HIV-negative people at high risk of exposure. This was not a guaranteed outcome, as the American pharmaceutical company Gilead, which developed the treatment, had marketed it in the United States for $28,218 (about €24,000) per year.

This "is a historic breakthrough that proves the most advanced tools can be made affordable from the very start," said Philippe Duneton, executive director of Unitaid, an international organization that funds access to health innovations in low and middle-income countries. Unitaid negotiated the agreement with the Indian manufacturer Dr. Reddy's, alongside the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) as the technical lead, as well as the research institute Wits RHI. At the same time, the Gates Foundation reached a separate agreement with another Indian manufacturer, Hetero Labs, ensuring a reliable supply and the creation of a competitive market.

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