Time to read
Our response to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decision not to recommend lenacapavir as PrEP.
Daniel Fluskey, Director of Policy, said:
“We are deeply disappointed with the news today that a significant new HIV prevention drug will not yet be made available because of the failure to agree an affordable price.
This is a real missed opportunity in the fight to end new HIV transmissions in England. New HIV transmissions are preventable because of major medical advancements and the development of highly effective treatment. Lenacapavir is a ground-breaking form of prevention that stops someone acquiring HIV for six months – it should be a crucial part of our HIV response in England and to see it not being made available because of its cost will cause upset and exasperation across the HIV community.
The potential significance of lenacapavir is not in doubt, and we welcome NICE’s recognition of the important role it would play in HIV prevention, particularly for people who face barriers to existing PrEP options. We believe it would save lives, reduce health inequalities, and go towards achieving the UK Government’s goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030.
But it will only be able to do so if access to the treatment is fair and affordable. So while the news today is hugely frustrating, it must not be the end of the story. There is now a short window of opportunity for Gilead and NHS England to resume negotiations and realise the benefits that the NICE Committee agreed lenacapavir would have. We urge both parties to do everything possible to ensure this new HIV prevention drug is made available to everyone who needs it.”