Gilead Shot provides total protection from HIV during a study of young African women
It can take years before generic drug makers are ready to produce a drug, and they need to have an idea of the potential market to commit to investing in production. So in the meantime, Gilead will aim to ship “sufficient volumes” of lenacapavir to low-income countries as soon as it wins regulatory approval, he said.Lenacapavir and the two pills studied are all known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, drugs. Another effective injectable PrEP drug is available in some African countries, but its introduction has been plagued by access problems. Long-acting cabotegravir, which is given by injection every two months, has also shown excellent results in clinical trials in Africa. It is produced by ViiV Healthcare, majority-owned by pharmaceutical giant GSK; the company charges $180 pe...