Latin America still lacks access to Gilead's HIV drug lenacapavir

Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV drug with near-perfect efficacy, has not reached Latin America despite clinical trials there, prompting protests at a Rio de Janeiro conference against manufacturer Gilead Sciences. Countries like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru lack access to generic versions, while Gilead sells the drug for $28,000 per patient in the U.S. versus an estimated $40 production cost. Activists and UNAIDS demand patent breaks, citing rising HIV cases in the region. Brazil, with 2.6 million people living with HIV, is considering compulsory licensing, a tactic it used in 2007 to cut drug prices by 70%. The Global Fund expects initial batches for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Honduras by year's end.