- Gilead Sciences (GILD, Financial) partners with the Global Fund to provide lenacapavir for HIV prevention in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
- The agreement aims to supply enough doses of lenacapavir to reach up to two million people over three years, at no profit to Gilead.
- This initiative is part of Gilead's broader strategy to enhance access to HIV prevention and treatment in resource-limited settings.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) has announced a strategic partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This collaboration aims to provide lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. The agreement intends to offer up to two million doses over three years, targeting primarily low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) supported by the Global Fund.
In October 2024, Gilead signed non-exclusive, royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements to manufacture and supply generic versions of lenacapavir in 120 high-incidence, resource-limited countries. The newly finalized agreement with the Global Fund will allow these countries early access to lenacapavir at no profit, pending widespread availability of generic versions.
The Global Fund will prioritize countries for early access based on HIV epidemiology, national prevention strategies, and available resources. This effort is part of Gilead's larger commitment to ensure access to life-saving medicines, especially in areas with limited resources, until licensed generics can fully meet the demand.
Gilead's Chairman and CEO, Daniel O’Day, emphasized the company's intention to swiftly benefit as many people as possible with this innovative HIV prevention tool. The initiative underscores the importance of delivering essential medicines to resource-limited settings as part of a global strategy to combat HIV.
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, remarked on the importance of this collaboration as a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV/AIDS, stressing the need for global resources to reach the ambitious target of two million individuals with long-acting PrEP.
Gilead's ongoing efforts, including consulting with global aid organizations and contracting at-risk manufacturing capacities, are set to ensure the availability of lenacapavir for HIV prevention in the countries covered by the licensing agreements. As Gilead pursues additional strategies like tiered pricing and public-private partnerships, the focus remains on widening access to this potentially game-changing HIV prevention medication.
