Gilead Grants Royalty-Free Licenses for HIV Drug Lenacapavir to Six Generics in 120 Countries

Oct 2, 2024, 12:51 PM

Gilead Sciences has signed non-exclusive, royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements with six generic manufacturers to produce and distribute its investigational HIV prevention drug, Lenacapavir, in 120 high-incidence, resource-limited countries, pending regulatory approvals. Lenacapavir is a twice-yearly injectable medication that shows promise not only in treating HIV, particularly in heavily treatment-experienced adults, but also in preventing it. The agreements aim to increase access to the drug in countries with high HIV incidence, enabling broader prevention efforts. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories is among the companies that have entered into licensing agreements with Gilead to manufacture and commercialize Lenacapavir in India and other countries. Gilead's move to offer royalty-free licenses is expected to help overcome challenges related to cost and access, which have hindered the broader use of pricey HIV medications in some regions. This follows Gilead commissioning a new report indicating that while treatments and tools are available to help end the HIV epidemic, much more needs to be done globally to make it happen.