Last updated on: 01 October 2025
Under a new partnership announced on 24 September 2025 between Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Wits RHI, lenacapavir will be available in 120 low- and middle-income countries at a cost of US$40, starting in 2027.
Originally developed by Gilead Sciences, lenacapavir is a twice-yearly injection that has shown exceptional effectiveness in preventing HIV. Since 2010, coordinated global efforts have reduced new HIV infections by 40 percent, but UNAIDS data show 1.3 million new infections occurred in 2024. This long-acting injectable could transform HIV prevention for millions of people who struggle with daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills. Moreover, the agreement now brings the price of the injectable on par with oral PrEP, a key condition for uptake in low- and middle-income countries.
“The ability to protect someone for six months with a single injection, at the same cost as the currently available daily pills, is truly transformational,” said President Bill Clinton, Board Chair and Co-Founder of CHAI. “This partnership marks a remarkable breakthrough and a fundamental shift in what’s possible for HIV prevention.”
“Generic manufacture of lenacapavir is essential to ensure this breakthrough HIV prevention option is not limited to a privileged few,” said Professor Saiqa Mullick, Director of Implementation Science at Wits RHI, University of the Witwatersrand. “By driving prices down and securing sustainable supply, generics will make lenacapavir a real choice for the millions of people in great need in low- and middle-income countries.”
Full article available at Wits RHI
This deal brings us closer to a world without AIDS. However, affordable medication alone is not enough. Aidsfonds continues to work to accelerate access, break down stigma, and ensure that no one is excluded from life-saving HIV prevention.
Lenacapavir to become available at a lower price in 120 low- and middle-income countries is significant progress. At the same time, not all countries benefit from this. Much work still needs to be done to ensure access for everyone who wants to use lenacapavir.
Remko van Leeuwen, expert scientific research at Aidsfonds
