In August 2025, the European Commission formally approved the twice-yearly injection for HIV prevention developed by Gilead Sciences, making it available for countries in the EU. Since the jab was authorised in the US earlier in June, experts and activists have called on Gilead to make the drug more accessible.

Marketed as Yeztugo by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences and known scientifically as Lenacapavir, the drug is a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). It prevents the virus from replicating and spreading through the body, thus reducing the risk of acquiring HIV.

The drug is administered just twice a year and has shown exceptional effectiveness in clinical trials. According to the results, 99.9% of those who received Lenacapavir remained HIV-negative.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug earlier in June, marking a significant development in the global fight against HIV. Similarly, the European Commission granted marketing authorisation for the HIV prevention injection, making it available in the 27 EU member states, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

This development comes at a time when HIV cases are on the rise. In 2023, over 24,700 new HIV diagnoses were recorded in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, marking an 11.8% increase from 2022.

While the HIV prevention injection has been hailed as a medical breakthrough, some are calling on Gilead to ensure the drug is accessible to the people who most need it. In an interview with the New York Times, the pharmaceutical company said that the US list price for Yeztugo would be $28,218 USD per person per year.

However, in a research paper published in The Lancet HIV, Dr Andrew Hill calculated that, because of interest from generic manufacturers, Lenacapavir could be mass produced for $35 to $46 a year. With an annual demand of 5 to 10 million doses, the price could drop to $25.

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Winnie Byanyima said: “We have been urging Gilead to make Lenacapavir available and affordable for all who need it. Dr Hill’s research indicates that this game-changing innovation could – within a year of launch – be produced and sold for just $25 per person per year.

“To charge 1,000 times more for a medicine with pandemic-ending potential would be abhorrent. We cannot end AIDS with medicines that are so costly.

“I urge Gilead to do the right thing. Drop the price, expand production, and ensure the world has a shot at ending AIDS.”