New HIV ‘vaccine’ could cut costs to $40 a year – Arab Times – Kuwait News

This news has been read 36 times!

New York, July 23: A breakthrough new drug hailed as “the closest thing to an HIV vaccine yet” could cost just $40 (£31) per patient per year, according to recent research. That’s a significant reduction from the current annual cost of $42,250 for lenacavir, sold as Sunlenca by Gilead Sciences.

Renacavir, which requires injections every six months, has been shown to both prevent HIV infection and suppress the virus in those already infected. Gilead announced last month that the drug provided 100% protection for more than 5,000 women in recent trials in South Africa and Uganda.

Currently, lenacapavir is only approved for treatment, not prevention. However, a study presented at the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich on Tuesday estimated that if mass-produced and used by 10 million people a year, the cost of a generic version could be reduced to $40 per year. The study suggests that in the long term, up to 60 million people may need to use the drug preventively to significantly reduce HIV levels.

Dr Andrew Hill, of the University of Liverpool, who led the study, commented: “With one injection every six months, you won’t get HIV. This is the closest we have ever come to an HIV vaccine.”

Currently, HIV prevention relies mainly on barrier methods such as daily pills and condoms. Activists urged Gilead to facilitate generic licensing of the drug through the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool, which could make the drug more accessible in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for 95% of global HIV infections. Historically, similar mechanisms have allowed wealthier countries to pay higher costs for treatment, while poorer countries benefited from lower costs.

If Gilead does not agree to such a license, Hill advocates for a compulsory license to allow generic production to meet public health needs. Gilead said it is “premature” to determine a price for preventive use of lenacavir as it awaits further clinical trial data and regulatory review. The company has pledged to develop a strategy to ensure broad, sustainable global supply of the drug, including supplying the drug to high-need areas and implementing a voluntary licensing program for high-morbidity, resource-limited countries.

Activists argue that all low- and middle-income countries, including upper-middle-income countries such as Brazil, should have access to affordable generic drugs. Past exclusions of countries with rapidly growing HIV epidemics have been criticized. Hill stressed the need for universal access to drugs and cited the Helsinki Declaration of Medical Ethics, which advocates that trials should benefit the subjects.

Joyce Ouma, senior program officer at Y+ Global, noted that the drug, which is injected every two years, will have a “transformative” impact on young people living with or at risk of contracting HIV. “It is no exaggeration to say that achieving the 2030 goal of ending new HIV transmissions depends on Gilead ensuring equitable access to lenapavir for people in the Global South,” Ouma said.

Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, added that renacavir could offer a “life-saving” alternative to daily pills, providing a more discreet option for people who face stigma because of their HIV status or sexual orientation.

This news has been read 36 times!