Gilead Now In Talks To Actually Manufacture AIDS Therapeutic In South Africa -- As Well As Sell It, At A Discounted License Rate. Good On Them!

This is on top of already discounted sales arrangements for Sunlenca^® / Lenacapavir in about 120 emerging economy nations. And it is the responsible, moral and ethically-correct thing to do. The burden of AIDS remains staggering in much of the world -- especially the areas least able to afford the next-gen therapeutics.

Here's that from Reuters [but the more informed take belongs to my buddy Ed Silverman ($ subs. req.), over at Stat+ -- do go read his, of yesterday].

. . .Gilead, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, granted six voluntary licences in 2024 to generic manufacturers across India, Egypt and Pakistan to produce and supply the drug ⁠to 120 low- and middle-income countries. These included South Africa, although there was criticism that no South African drugmakers were included.

A licence for a South African company would be the seventh such deal, potentially boosting access to a drug many HIV/AIDS experts have said could help bring an end to the 44-year-old pandemic by slashing the numbers of new infections.

Gilead said it has been open to adding an additional voluntary license for local manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa. "Gilead will review the proposals and assess ​whether required quality standards can be met before any voluntary license is granted," the company said in an email. . . .

Do well, by going good -- indeed. Onward, smiling into a very London-, or Dublin-like morning again, here.

नमस्ते