Merck to make new monthly HIV prevention pill available for as little as $5 a year in poor countries

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Amid rising concern over efforts to contain HIV, Merck has reached voluntary licensing deals with seven companies to make generic versions of an experimental, once-a-month prevention pill in 129 low- and middle-income countries.

The agreements will allow the manufacturers — three of which are based in Africa and four in India — to sell generic versions to both public and private buyers, which is designed to ensure the medicine becomes available to the widest possible population. Moreover, the deals are royalty free, which makes it easier for the generic companies to predict costs.

The timing of the announcement is notable because Merck is striking these deals while its medicine, known as alimatravir, is currently undergoing a pair of late-stage clinical trials. By doing so now, the company believes it will help the generic makers plan for wide-scale production and the necessary steps to receive regulatory approvals around the world.

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