Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Hetero Labs announced they will begin selling generic versions of the HIV prevention drug lenacapavir. The drug will cost approximately $40 per year, starting in 2027. Lenacapavir was developed by Gilead Sciences and approved earlier this year under the brand name Yeztugo. It is a twice-yearly injection that showed nearly 100% effectiveness at preventing HIV in large clinical trials. Experts believe the drug could play a key role in controlling the 44-year-long HIV epidemic. The virus continues to infect 1.3 million people each year and has claimed an estimated 44 million lives, according to the World Health Organization.
Expanding Access to Low- and Middle-Income Countries
The $40 annual price point makes lenacapavir far more accessible compared to the estimated $28,000 per year cost of branded Yeztugo in the U.S. This move aims to broaden access for millions in low- and middle-income countries with high HIV burdens.
The initiative receives technical and financial support from global health organizations. Unitaid, a WHO-hosted agency, is partnering with Dr. Reddy’s, alongside the Clinton Health Access Initiative and South Africa’s Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI). The Gates Foundation is collaborating with Hetero on the effort.
“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. She added that the low-cost generic could become the preferred choice for millions affected in low-income countries.
Royalty-Free Licenses Enable Global Production
Gilead granted royalty-free licenses last year to Dr. Reddy’s, Hetero, and four other manufacturers. The licenses allow them to produce and sell lenacapavir in 120 low- and lower-middle-income countries. These countries have the highest HIV burden. Production and sales are expected by 2027, pending regulatory approvals. “The $40 price that we have negotiated brings the product in parity with the cost of oral PrEP,” said Carmen Perez Casas, Unitaid’s strategic lead for HIV, referring to pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV infection.
A Landmark Step in Global HIV Prevention
The collaboration marks a major milestone in making life-saving HIV prevention drugs affordable and accessible globally. According to msn.cm, Dr. Reddy’s and Hetero will offer a generic version at a fraction of the U.S. cost. This move is expected to boost uptake of the drug. It will also support global efforts to reduce new HIV infections.
