The US is fast-tracking this important HIV drug — for everyone except South Africa

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SparkGlyph

The article discusses the recent development of a twice-yearly HIV prevention shot, lenacapavir, developed by Gilead Sciences. The company has made licensing deals with six generic manufacturers to share its technology and make cheaper versions of the drug available in 120 low- and lower-middle-income countries. This move aims to shorten the wait time for generics to be made available, potentially reducing costs to around $40 per person per year. However, the deal excludes upper-middle-income countries such as Brazil or Argentina, which fall into a gray zone where they are too rich for cheap generics but too poor to afford Gilead's prices.

The article also notes that while breakthrough science like lenacapavir is important, its impact on public health depends on political choices made now. The Trump administration has announced that it will not distribute Lenacapavir to South Africa, which could limit the drug's availability in some countries.

Overall, the development of lenacapavir and the licensing deals with generic manufacturers offer a promising solution to reduce costs and increase access to HIV prevention medication. However, the decision of where to distribute these cheaper versions will depend on political considerations and the ability of governments to support public health initiatives.
 
🤔 this is like, super important stuff - we need more affordable meds for ppl living with HIV/AIDS, especially in low-income countries 🌎 it's frustrating that lenacapavir won't be available in some countries cuz of politics 🙄 like, shouldn't the focus be on saving lives rather than making deals? 💸 but i guess licensing deals with generic manufacturers is a good start 👍 and $40 per year is still pretty reasonable compared to what we're used to paying for meds 🤑
 
I'm not sure what's more shocking, that Gilead is making cheaper meds available or they're being super picky about who gets 'em 🤔. Like, come on guys, South Africa needs this shot more than the Kardashians' Instagram followers need likes 😂. And seriously, who decides where cheap meds go? It sounds like a bad game of whack-a-mole, where you have to keep dodging and weaving between different countries and their politics 🤯. I guess what I'm saying is, let's just hope they don't leave the world in a sticky situation 💉...
 
🤔 so they're making this super cheap HIV shot available in 120 countries but only for like low-income ones? seems fishy to me. what's the deal with upper-middle income countries getting left out? is it because they can afford Gilead's prices or something? also, Trump just announced not to distribute it to South Africa... what's going on here? 🤷‍♂️ how do we know this isn't just a PR stunt to make them look like they care about public health? need some sources on this one before i buy into it 💡
 
OMG, can you believe this?! 🤯 They're finally making an affordable version of the HIV shot available in 120 countries, that's insane! 💸 $40 a year is super cheap, I'm all about making meds accessible, especially for those in poverty 💖. But, like, why are they leaving out upper-middle-income countries? 🤔 It's all about the politics, right? 🤝 The Trump administration is being super shady with South Africa, that's not cool 😒. Still, I'm hyped about this development, it's a major step forward in making HIV prevention more accessible 🚀. Now, let's see how governments and big pharma companies play their part in supporting public health initiatives 👏.
 
Think about this for a sec 🤔... Gilead's move is all about profit at first, but then they realize that by sharing their tech with generic manufacturers, it's actually gonna benefit people more in the long run. But what's interesting is that there's still a catch – the ones who can't afford Gilead's prices are kinda stuck 🤷‍♀️... It makes you wonder, is access to healthcare just a matter of politics? Like, if you're from South Africa, you're gonna get left behind because Trump decided not to distribute lenacapavir there 😔. And what does that say about our global priorities, really? Shouldn't we be working towards making sure everyone has access to lifesaving meds? 🤷‍♂️ It's a complex issue, but it's worth thinking about... 💡
 
This is a good start, but I wish they'd consider other countries in that gray zone too 🤔. It feels like Gilead's making it easy for people who have some money, but not enough, to get access to this life-saving shot. Meanwhile, South Africa is being left out...that does seem really counterproductive 🚫. I'm all for the generic versions getting made available in 120 countries, but it doesn't feel like a fair trade-off to me 💸. Can we really afford to be that picky about who gets access?
 
its kinda interesting that Gilead is making lenacapavir more affordable for low- & lower-middle-income countries, but also a bit shady that they're excluding upper-mid income countries... i mean, why would they do that? 🤔

anyway, the fact that there's a cheaper version of hiv meds coming out soon is def a good thing, and it's great that they're partnering with generic manufacturers to make it happen. but let's be real, politics plays a huge role in this too... like, what if trump's admin really does decide not to distribute lenacapavir to south africa? 🤕 that would be a major bummer for public health.

i guess the thing is, on one hand we gotta celebrate the progress being made in hiv prevention meds, and on the other hand we gotta acknowledge that there are still so many complexities to navigate when it comes to global access to healthcare... 💡
 
ugh this is so unfair 🤯 lenacapavir is literally life saving for people living with hiv but gilead's gonna hold out for rich countries? that's like saying "you can afford it" vs "you can't afford it"... meanwhile south africa gets left in the dust 🌪️ what's up with the trump admin tho, didn't they just leave office already? this is like something straight out of a dystopian novel...
 
I'm not sure how fair it is that Gilead Sciences only offers their lenacapavir shot to 120 countries... 🤔 Those other countries in the gray zone are basically being left behind, you know? They can't afford the original price but aren't rich enough to get the cheaper version either. It just doesn't seem right that they're cutting out some of the most affected areas. And what about all those people who might be able to save their lives with this shot if it was available to them... I mean, isn't that the whole point of all this? 💊
 
I think this is a great example of how innovation can be used for the greater good 🤝. The fact that Gilead Sciences is making lenacapavir available in low- and lower-middle-income countries, but not in upper-middle-income ones, makes me wonder about our societal values 🤔. Are we only looking out for our own citizens' interests, or are we willing to take a step back and think about how our choices can impact others across the globe? 💡
 
I'm worried about countries like South Africa not getting access to lenacapavir 🤕... I mean, think about all the people who are living with HIV and need this medication to prevent them from getting sick 😔. It's crazy that they're being left out of the deal just because it's a gray zone for their economy 💸. Like, how are we supposed to expect them to fight off the spread of HIV if they can't even get the meds they need? 🤷‍♂️ We need more transparency and politics aside, make sure everyone gets access to this life-saving treatment 🌎.
 
I think it's crazy that Gilead is only sharing their tech with low- & lower-middle-income countries 🤯💸. I mean, shouldn't they be willing to help make this life-saving medication more affordable for everyone? 🤔 It just feels like a PR move to make them look all altruistic, but what about the other countries that need it too? 😒

And have you seen who's getting left out of this deal? Upper-middle-income countries like Brazil or Argentina are basically being left in the dark. It's like they're saying those countries can't afford a few hundred bucks per year for HIV meds 🤑. I just don't buy it.

The thing is, politics as usual 🤷‍♂️. They're playing the US vs rest of the world game and it's all about who gets to decide which meds get priority. It's like, can't we just make these meds available to everyone regardless of where they live? 🌎 That's what I'd do, but hey what do I know right? 🤷‍♂️
 
Ugh I'm so worried about this new lenacapavir shot 🤕... I mean I get it, Gilead's got a right to wanna make some cash off their meds 💸, but what's up with these licensing deals? It's like they're saying "Hey we'll share our tech, but only with the rich countries" 🤑. And now this news about South Africa not getting the shot... it's like, come on guys! We gotta think about people who are actually struggling to afford meds here 🤦‍♂️.

And I'm all for cheaper meds, trust me I've seen my cousin struggle with HIV and it's just... *sigh* 😔. But at the same time, I get that there's politics involved here too. It's like, the US government is trying to play favorites or something? 🤷‍♂️

I wish we could just have a straightforward conversation about public health without all these complicated agendas 🗣️. Can't we just make meds available to whoever needs 'em? 🤝
 
I don't think this is just about charity, it's about making smart business moves too 🤑. Gilead Sciences is doing what every major pharma company does - they're maximizing profits while still 'doing good'. And let's be real, if the Trump admin isn't gonna distribute this lifesaving drug to South Africa, that's not a political decision, that's just a matter of who's got the cash 💸. Those generic manufacturers are gonna make bank off this deal and Gilead gets to keep its profits - it's all about supply and demand 📈. The cost per person might be 'only' $40 per year, but what about the people who can't even afford that? We should be worried about why some countries get preferential treatment over others 👀.
 
I'm so glad to see Gilead Sciences working with generic manufacturers to make lenacapavir more accessible 🙌! The price of around $40 per year is totally reasonable, considering how much people suffer from HIV/AIDS worldwide 😔. I do wonder why they excluded Brazil and Argentina though... isn't that kinda weird? They're like the middle ground between rich and poor 🤔.

It's also super worrying to hear about the Trump admin not distributing lenacapavir to South Africa 🚫. Like, how can we expect to make a dent in global health issues if big decisions are being made with politics instead of people's lives? 🤷‍♀️
 
I'm low-key frustrated that Gilead's not making lenacapavir available in all countries equally 🤔💸 Like, we just need more affordable meds to fight HIV, right? And now we gotta navigate this gray area between rich & poor countries? It's like, the good news is there's a cheaper version coming soon 💪, but at what cost? I mean, South Africa getting left out of the distribution deal for lenacapavir is just not cool 🙅‍♂️. We need governments to step up and support public health initiatives, not make it harder for people to access life-saving meds 👎
 
🤔 this is so unfair 🙅‍♂️, why should people in lower-income countries have to pay $40 a year for an HIV shot when they're already struggling to make ends meet? 💸 also what's up with Gilead Sciences excluding upper-middle-income countries from the deal? 🤷‍♀️ it just seems like they want to prioritize profits over people... 😔
 
💡 I'm so down for lenacapavir being made available in more countries 🤞 40 bucks a year is def a game changer 💸. But what's up with the exclusions tho? 🤔 Upper-middle-income countries like Brazil and Argentina are still struggling to afford Gilead's prices, meanwhile they're too rich for cheap generics 🤷‍♀️. It feels like the system is kinda broken 🚫.

And oh man, South Africa not getting lenacapavir from the Trump admin? 🙅‍♂️ That's like, super concerning 🤕. We need more transparency around this distribution stuff 💬. Can't we just make sure everyone has access to affordable meds without all the drama? 😩
 
🤔 This new development is kinda sick, I mean, for good reason! Gilead's being super generous by sharing their tech with generic manufacturers. We need more companies like them doing this stuff. But at the same time, it's whack that they're leaving out some countries because they don't fit into their "gray zone". South Africa got hit hard by HIV and I'm really worried about what's gonna happen if we can't get this medication to them.

I think the thing is, we need governments to step up and support these kinds of public health initiatives. They're making a choice here that's affecting people's lives directly. Let's hope they make the right one. And also, it'd be dope if they made sure all these cheaper meds are available everywhere, not just in low- and lower-middle-income countries. We need to make healthcare for everyone, you feel? 💊
 
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