MoH in talks to acquire “breakthrough” drug used to prevent HIV

The Guyana Government is working to acquire Lenacapavir, a revolutionary new medicine that prevents HIV infection with injections required just twice a year.
Produced by the US company Gilead, it has been described as a “breakthrough” medication in the fight against HIV infection. The current price of Lenacapavir for HIV treatment in America is US$28,000 per person per year.
The drug is expected to become available at a cost of US$40 a year in low- and middle-income countries starting in 2027, under a new partnership announced between Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Wits RHI.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony says local officials are currently in talks with international partners with the aim of ensuring Guyana benefits from this deal.
“There’s a new drug that’s on the market that we’re working to see whether we’d be able get it, and that’s Lenacapavir,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s an injection; you take it, and for six months you don’t need to take anything [else]; you’re protected. However, Lenacapavir is very expensive in places like the US and so – the treatment would be about US$25,000. However, it would go off patent in about a year from now – two years from now – and we’re hoping that when it goes off patent, that we’d be able to access that medication at a cheaper cost,” Dr Anthony noted.
He further remarked that “a lot of people have said that this could be a game changer in terms of HIV care, and so we’re working with our partners to see how we could access that.”
According to UNAIDS, PURPOSE 2 trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Lenacapavir was between 96 and 100 per cent effective in preventing new HIV infections.
UNAIDS estimates that if 20 million persons in highest need, including men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs and young women and adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa, have access, this could dramatically reduce new infections and significantly advance progress in ending AIDS by 2030.
Last year, approximately 449 new HIV infections were recorded in Guyana.
Currently, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication to prevent HIV, is available in Guyana through public health programmes.
“If you think that your lifestyle would put you at risk, then you don’t have to wait until you get HIV… Come in to the Ministry because we have something called PrEP. So we’ll treat you before, and if, per chance, you have a relationship with somebody positive for HIV, then by using this PrEP, it would prevent you from getting infected.”
“We’re not judgemental; we won’t ask you questions,” he assured.