Responding to growing pressure, ViiV Healthcare announced steps to widen access to its HIV prevention medicine in low- and middle-income countries, marking the second time in two years the company is taking such steps. But as before, the move was met with criticism over certain details.
The latest effort involves tripling the annual supply of the drug, a long-acting medication known as cabotegravir, in hopes of making more than 2 million doses available during 2025 and 2026. The company — which is largely owned by GSK, while Pfizer and Shionogi hold minority stakes — explained this will roughly triple the availability this year in those countries.
ViiV also maintained that the rollout for the drug, which is available at a not-for-profit price of about $30 a vial, is progressing at a “record pace” in sub-Saharan Africa and poorer countries. So far, half of all regulatory approvals are in sub-Saharan African and 79% are in lower and middle-income countries. By the end of this year, ViiV will have supplied the drug to a total of 14 countries.
