The U.S. has approved the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, maker Gilead Sciences announced Wednesday. It’s the first step in an anticipated global rollout that could protect millions – although it’s unclear how many in the U.S. and abroad will get access to the powerful new option.
While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot — a drug called lenacapvir — could be the next best thing. It nearly eliminated new infections in two groundbreaking studies of people at high risk, better than daily preventive pills they can forget to take.
“This really has the possibility of ending HIV transmission,” said Greg Millett, public policy director at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.
FTA:
“U.S. list price, meaning before insurance, is $28,218 a year”
Same price regardless, 1 or 2 shots. It’s per year, not per shot.
What’s shitty is that this drug could damn near wipe out HIV if it were accessible to everyone who needed it.
But I guess we can’t have that.
Nearly nobody will pay sticker price though. They have to set an absolute bullshit price, so the Pharmacy Benefit Managers can “negotiate” a huge “discount” (=real price) to show how much savings and value they create.
It’s the same with costs for Hospitals in the US (huge Bullshit Sticker Price, insurance negotiates a “discount” for the employer, and gets a percentage for the service and savings they provide)