Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero has announced a new partnership with US healthcare giant Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD), securing a non-exclusive, royalty-free voluntary licensing agreement to manufacture and distribute lenacapavir in 120 primarily low- and lower-middle income countries (LMICs). This marks a significant step in expanding access to this groundbreaking HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, which is used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs to treat multi-drug-resistant HIV-1 infections.
Lenacapavir’s unique ability to target multiple stages of the HIV lifecycle makes it an essential treatment option for patients facing limited treatment availability. The drug has shown remarkable efficacy in clinical trials, including the Phase III CEPHEUS study, which demonstrated a significant reduction in disease progression or death risk by 43% for patients treated with lenacapavir in combination with other drugs compared to the standard regimen. This partnership will not only broaden access to lenacapavir for HIV treatment but also support HIV prevention efforts through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
The deal comes amidst a broader push to improve access to life-saving HIV treatments and prevention methods, especially in regions with high HIV incidence rates and limited resources. Gilead’s commitment to pricing lenacapavir at no profit and supplying the drug until generic manufacturers can fully meet demand underscores the company’s role in driving global health equity.- Flcube.com
