The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced an agreement with Gilead Sciences pharmaceutical that will facilitate access to lenacapavir, a long-acting drug for HIV prevention, for 14 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The drug is administered twice a year, offering an alternative to existing daily treatments.
The countries benefiting from the agreement are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. These countries will be able to acquire lenacapavir through PAHO's Regional Revolving Funds, a mechanism that facilitates collective negotiation with the pharmaceutical company.
According to PAHO, Gilead Sciences committed to advancing a technology transfer process in Brazil, aiming to facilitate local drug production in the future. Each participating country must respect its own internal regulatory processes for product approval.
Lenacapavir is a bi-annual drug that offers protection against HIV infection. PAHO highlights that the agreement seeks to expand access to this prevention tool in countries of the region, where access to innovative treatments is usually limited.
