HIV, the AIDS virus (yellow), infecting a human cell. Photo: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash.
As I travel the globe with HIV, relying on medication, I am outraged to see people dying simply because these life-saving drugs are too costly.
New York, N.Y. A powerful coalition of former world leaders, celebrities, and the Nobel laureate who co-discovered HIV are urging pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences to make its revolutionary new HIV drug affordable and accessible worldwide.
The drug, called Lenacapavir, offers a game-changing twice-yearly injection regimen for both HIV treatment and prevention. But with a $42,250 price tag for the first year in the U.S. and nearly two decades of patent protection, the life-saving medication is currently out of reach for millions in low and middle-income nations.
In an open letter signed by over 300 prominent figures – including actors like Gillian Anderson, Stephen Fry, Sharon Stone, Alan Cumming, former heads of state, Nobel laureate Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, and HIV activists – Gilead is implored to avoid repeating the “horror and shame” of the early AIDS crisis, when 12 million lives were lost in poorer regions due to lack of access to treatment.
“Courageous Leadership” Needed
The letter demands that Gilead ensures Lenacapavir launches in low and middle-income countries simultaneously with wealthy nations by licensing generic versions through the Medicines Patent Pool – a move the company has made before with other HIV drugs.
“We’ve made such progress against AIDS, and advances like Lenacapavir put ending the pandemic within reach. But it will take courageous leadership from Gilead,” said Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana and a signatory.
The People’s Medicines Alliance, which organized the letter, notes that most of the estimated 1 million new HIV infections each year across Asia, Africa and Latin America occur in the very populations that could most benefit from a long-acting injectable like Lenacapavir – including young women, LGBTQ+ people, sex workers and those who inject drugs.
In response, Gilead reiterated their commitment to developing an access model for Lenacapavir that ensures its swift and sustainable delivery to low- and middle-income countries.
Celebrities, Other Leaders Demand Affordable HIV Wonder Drug for All (May 30, 2024)
#EndAIDS #HIVAwareness #AccessForAll #HealthEquity #LenacapavirForAll #GlobalHealth #FightHIVAIDS #AffordableMedsNow
Tags: Celebrities, Gilead Sciences, Lenacapavir, HIV Treatment, Global Health, Affordable Medication, AIDS Pandemic, Pharmaceutical Industry, Health Equity, Low-Income Countries
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