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Low- and middle-income countries will be able to purchase an effective preventative at a reduced price. The arrangements may help stem the epidemic 40 years after it began.
Sept. 24, 2025, 7:00 a.m. ET
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against H.I.V. with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the H.I.V. epidemic.
Although current treatments can suppress H.I.V., there is no real cure, making affordable prevention crucial for turning back the virus. About 1.3 million people worldwide become infected with H.I.V. every year.
The drug, lenacapavir, is given as two shots every six months. Through two deals announced on Wednesday by philanthropic organizations, the shots would cost the same as daily oral pills to prevent H.I.V., making lenacapavir a realistic choice in countries with constrained resources.
“This is a game-changer,” said former President Bill Clinton, co-founder and chair of the board of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which helped negotiate one of the new partnerships.
”It simplifies prevention for patients, doctors, and health systems alike,” he said.
Health ministers of African countries welcomed news of a lower price.
“By making lenacapavir available soon for just $40 a year, we’re seeing remarkable progress in long-acting H.I.V. prevention,” Rwanda’s health minister, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, said.
