Gilead's Lenacapavir Plan Faces Global Hurdles As It Commits To No-Profit Access for 2 Million

Zinger Key PointsGilead will supply enough lenacapavir to reach 2M people in Global Fund-supported nations over three years at no profit.Yeztugo, priced at $28,218 annually in the U.S., is the only twice-yearly PrEP option approved by the FDA.Get daily-updated rankings across momentum, growth, value, trends, and quality to spot the strongest stocks in any market.Gilead Sciences, Inc.GILDon Wednesday announced a strategic partnership agreement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to supply lenacapavir — Gilead’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor — for the prevention of HIV aspre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).Through the agreement, Gilead will supply enough doses to reach up to two million people over three years in countries supported by the Global Fund, at no profit to Gilead.In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Yeztugo (lenacapavir) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg, making it the first and only twice-yearly option available in the U.S. forpeople who need or want PrEP.Yeztugo's annual list price in the U.S. before insurance is $28,218.A month's supply of Truvada and Descovy, Gilead's daily pills for PreP, are both around $2,000 without insurance, which amounts to around $24,000 per year.Also Read:FDA Eases Access To Life-Saving Gene Therapies For Blood CancersThe drug was praised as the closest thing to a vaccine and a powerful tool to help control the 45-year-old HIV pandemic. However, advocates and researchers were concerned that the people most affected — especially in low-income countries — might not get access to it, especially after the Trump administration started reducing foreign aid, the STAT news wrote.In October 2024, Gilead signed non-exclusive, royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements to manufacture and supply high-quality generic versions of lenacapavir in 120 high-incidence, resource-limited countries, primarily low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs).Until licensed generic versions are available and can fully meet demand in LLMICs, Gilead also committed to providing Gilead-supplied lenacapavir for PrEP at no profit.Under this strategic partnership agreement with the Global Fund, countries supported by the Global Fund that are among the 120 high-incidence, resource-limited countries can access lenacapavir for PrEP.STAT Newswritesthat the deal does not cover the U.S. government’s PEPFAR program, which has been the top global supplier of HIV prevention drugs.In December 2024, PEPFAR said it would work with three other organizations to speed up the drug’s rollout. However, those plans were disrupted when the Trump administration made major cuts to foreign aid, creating uncertainty around PEPFAR's future and related agreements.The situation raises lingering questions, especially about the Biden administration's plans for PEPFAR, a key U.S. global health program. Trump's 2026 budget proposal includes a $1.9 billioncutto the program.Meanwhile, whether the Global Fund can afford to buy the doses independently is uncertain. Although the group has spent over $65 billion fighting infectious diseases since 2002, it’s facing funding challenges. PEPFAR has historically been a major source of its budget, and other wealthy nations have also reduced their foreign aid contributions in recent years.GILDPrice Action:GILD stock is up 1.26% at $112.46 at publication on Wednesday.Read Next:Buckle Up, Visa: Stablecoins Process $800 Billion In Transactions Per Month, Report FindsPhoto: ShutterstockLoading...Loading...GILDGilead Sciences Inc$112.451.25%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it?Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock – anytime.Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum89.54Growth69.13Quality78.61Value23.74Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs© 2025 Benzinga.com. . .Posted In:BiotechGovernmentLarge CapNewsHealth CareGlobalTop StoriesTrading IdeasGeneralBriefsdiseaseExpert IdeasGlobal FundHIVPharmaceuticalStories That Matter