A landmark global health agreement has cleared the way for a revolutionary, twice-yearly HIV prevention drug to be sold for just $40 per year in 120 low- and middle-income countries.
The drug, Lenacapavir, currently costs approximately $28,000 annually in high-income markets like the United States. Announced on September 24, 2025, at the United Nations General Assembly, this price reduction – representing 0.1% of its original cost – is expected to bring the world significantly closer to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by making the most advanced prevention tool as affordable as daily oral pills.
Lenacapavir is a capsid inhibitor that prevents the virus from replicating. Unlike current PrEP pills that must be taken daily, this treatment requires only two injections per year, significantly reducing the barriers of “pill fatigue” and social stigma.
The price breakthrough was brokered through a collaboration between Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the Gates Foundation, and the South African research institute Wits RHI.
Affordable generic versions are expected to be available by 2027, following regulatory approvals. While the $40 generic versions will take roughly two years to reach full-scale production, a separate “bridge” agreement was finalized in July 2025.
Under this deal, the drug’s original developer, Gilead Sciences, has partnered with the Global Fund and PEPFAR to supply branded Lenacapavir at no profit to roughly 2 million people in high-burden countries until the generics are ready. This ensures that the most vulnerable populations – including adolescent girls, sex workers, and the LGBTQ+ community – do not have to wait years for access to life-saving innovation.
