HIV prevention drug hailed as breakthrough, but who gets access?

A long-acting injectable drug administered twice a year could revolutionize HIV prevention. In a 2024 clinical trial involving over 2,000 young women in South Africa and Uganda, no participants who received lenacapavir contracted HIV. Developed by Gilead Sciences, the drug is recommended by WHO as an additional form of pre-exposure prophylaxis, but its high cost—about $28,000 annually in the US—limits access, with generic versions expected to cost around $40. The challenge now is ensuring equitable access amid declining international HIV funding.