On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Gilead Sciences Inc., an American pharmaceutical company, has agreed to donate medications that reduce and prevent the risk of HIV transmission for more than 200,000 people a year.
President Donald Trump tweeted, “Will help us achieve our goal of ending the HIV epidemic in America!”
HHS Secretary Alex Azar said, “The pledge may last up to 11 years. Gilead will donate its Truvada prevention pill until a second-generation version becomes available.”
The Trump administration is aiming to end the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.
Carl Schmid of the AIDS Institute said the donation will make the drug available for uninsured people. He called the donation “a really significant step.” It lists for over $20,000 per patient, per year. In a press release, Gilead Sciences said that the donation of HIV medication is one of the largest ever made in the United States. The California-based pharma company said, “It is part of the company’s ongoing initiatives to help ensure that everyone who can benefit from the medicine is able to access it.”
