A $40-a-year version of the twice-yearly HIV prevention shot wins US approval
Dr Reddy's generic lenacapavir will be sold at that price in 120 countries under a deal that includes South Africa's Wits RHI.
Johannesburg — A low-cost generic version of lenacapavir, the twice-yearly injection that prevents HIV, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, bringing it closer to clinics in low-income countries.
The approval, on Monday, was announced by the Indian maker Dr Reddy's Laboratories and by Unitaid, the global health agency. Under a pricing agreement reached in September 2025, the generic will cost $40 per person per year in 120 countries.
That agreement involves Dr Reddy's, Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Wits RHI, the health research institute of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
Two injections instead of a daily pill
Lenacapavir was first developed by the US company Gilead and approved in June 2025, after large trials showed it to be more than 99.9% effective at preventing HIV infection. Given every six months, it can be easier to keep up than daily prevention pills, which only work when taken consistently.
"Unitaid's early risk-taking is helping shorten the time between a scientific breakthrough and real access in countries," said Philippe Duneton, Unitaid's executive director.
Source: Daily Trust via allAfrica, November 2026.
