A new ‘vaccine-like’ HIV drug, Lenacapavir, currently costing over $40,000 per person annually, could be produced for as little as $40, researchers estimated on Tuesday. Developed by US pharmaceutical giant Gilead, Lenacapavir has been hailed as a potential game-changer in the fight against HIV. Early trials have shown the treatment to be 100% effective in preventing HIV infection. The drug’s unique feature is its bi-annual injection, a significant improvement over current daily pill regimens. “It’s like having a vaccine basically,” said Andrew Hill, a researcher at the UK’s Liverpool University. The current cost of the drug, exceeding $40,000 a year in countries like the US, France, Norway, and Australia, has raised concerns about accessibility. However, new research presented at the International AIDS Conference in Munich, explored the possibility of reducing production costs by allowing for cheaper generic versions. This research, though not yet peer-reviewed, suggests that a year’s worth of the drug could be manufactured for as little as $40, a thousand-fold decrease from the current price. This estimate is based on production volumes sufficient to treat 10 million people. Hill emphasized the potential impact of making this drug accessible to high-risk groups, such as gay or bisexual men, sex workers, prisoners, and notably young women in Africa. “We could actually control the epidemic,” he stated. According to the World Health Organization, there were 1.3 million new HIV infections last year, with 39 million people currently living with the virus. To arrive at their cost estimate, the researchers studied shipments of raw materials for the drug and consulted with large generic manufacturers in China and India, who already produce its building blocks. Hill highlighted the team’s previous success in making similar accurate cost estimations. A decade ago, they predicted the cost of Gilead’s hepatitis C drug, then priced at $84,000 per patient, could plummet to $100 with the introduction of generics. “Now it costs just under $40 to cure Hepatitis C,” he said. The announcement of this new research came a day after UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima urged Gilead to “make history” by making Lenacapavir accessible through the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool, allowing generics to be sold under license in low- and middle-income nations. “Gilead has an opportunity to save the world,” she told AFP. A Gilead spokesperson, while acknowledging the potential of Lenacapavir, stated that they are still awaiting phase 3 clinical trial data on its use in preventing HIV, making it “too early to state” future plans. The spokesperson emphasized the company’s commitment to providing “high-quality, low-cost versions of Lenacapavir” in countries with the greatest need. Gilead is also actively negotiating contracts for a voluntary licensing program to expedite access to these versions in high-incidence, resource-limited countries.
