PAHO provides new opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean to access HIV drugs

WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says it is providing new opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to access lenacapavir as part of preventive medicine to curb the spread of HIV throughout the region. PAHO said that the medication will be made available through its Regional Revolving Funds, under an agreement with Gilead Sciences and that the initiative will make the long-acting HIV prevention medicine available to 14 countries. “The agreement between Gilead and PAHO reflects our shared commitment to help countries move as quickly as possible from scientific innovation to real-world access to HIV prevention and public health impact,” said Johanna Mercier, chief commercial & corporate affairs officer, Gilead Sciences.

“Strategic partnerships are essential to our ambition to help end the HIV epidemic. This agreement demonstrates how collaboration between governments, public health organisations and industry can expand access, accelerate implementation and create the conditions for sustainable scale.” PAHO said that approximately 140,000 new HIV infections occur each year in Latin America and the Caribbean, underscoring the need to expand access to effective and acceptable prevention options. Lenacapavir is a long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) administered twice a year.

In 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended lenacapavir as an additional HIV prevention option following clinical trials that demonstrated almost 100 per cent efficacy in preventing HIV infection. Its twice-yearly dosing provides an alternative for people who may face challenges with more frequent prevention regimens. Under the new agreement, the 14 countries will be able to procure lenacapavir through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, subject to applicable national regulatory and programmatic processes.

The new pathway complements voluntary licensing agreements that already cover 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean under a broader global access framework covering 120 countries worldwide. Together, these mechanisms provide complementary routes for countries in the region to access lenacapavir. “Today, the Americas have increasingly effective tools to prevent HIV, but these innovations will have an impact only if they reach the people who need them,” said PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa.