Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir

The White House announced it has signed nine new agreements with pharmaceutical companies Amgen , Bristol Myers Squibb , Boehringer Ingelheim , Genentech , Gilead Sciences , GSK , Merck , Novartis and Sanofi to offer medications through TrumpRx at discounted rates. According to the White House, Boehringer Ingelheim's Jentadeuto for type 2 diabetes will be listed for $55 for U.S. patients, Bristol Myers Squibb's Reyataz for HIV will be $217, Genentech's Xofluza flu medication will be $50, and Amgen's Repatha, used to lower high cholesterol, will be offered through TrumpRx for $239. TrumpRx will also offer Gilead Sciences' Epclusa hepatitis C medication for $2,425, Merck's Januvia for diabetes at $100 and Novartis' Mayzent for multiple sclerosis for $1,137, and Sanofi will reduce the price of its prescription blood thinner, Plavix, to $16. Sanofi will also list its insulin products on TrumpRx at $35 per month’s supply, and GSK will reduce the prices of its inhaler portfolio, including its asthma inhaler Advair Diskus 500/50, to $89. The pharma giants are also collectively investing at least $150 billion in U.S. manufacturing and donating active pharmaceutical ingredients to the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve, which aims to increase the U.S. supply of such products in the event of an emergency and reduce America's reliance on foreign nations. THE LARGER TREND Earlier this month, Boehringer Ingelheim announced it had signed an agreement with the Trump administration that allows the pharma giant to be excluded from potential Section 232 tariffs. The pharma giant plans to spend $10 billion to expand its research and development and manufacturing operations in the U.S. through 2028, including $1 billion for capital expenditures. The agreement means the bulk of Boehringer's medications for U.S. patients will be produced in the United States. In November, the White House announced it signed agreements with Eli Lilly and Company and Novo Nordisk to offer GLP-1s Zepbound, orforglipron, Ozempic and Wegovy through TrumpRx at a discounted rate. TrumpRx launched in September and announced it brokered a deal with Pfizer to offer some of the pharma giant's medications at a discount through the prescription digital marketplace. That deal also allowed Pfizer to avoid U.S. tariffs on overseas-made drugs for three years by offering its medications through TrumpRx.

GlobalData forecasts that lenacapavir, under all its brand names, will generate $5.3bn in global sales in 2031. Tada Images via Shutterstock.com. Gilead Sciences’ pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) formula of lenacapavir has been approved in the UK as a preventative option for HIV, offering patients a twice-yearly injection to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. As per the authorisation by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), lenacapavir will be available to adults and adolescents for the prevention of sexually transmitted HIV-1 infection. The drug, taken as an injection once every six months, will be sold in the UK under the brand name Yeytuo, as it is across Europe. A formulation of lenacapavir was already approved in the UK under the brand name Sunlenca in 2022, which is for the treatment of HIV infection in combination with other antiretrovirals. There were 6,402 new diagnoses of HIV in the UK in 2023, with 107,949 people receiving HIV care that year. The UK Government aims to stop new HIV transmissions and end AIDS-related deaths by 2030. The greenlight as a preventative option in the UK follows similar decisions in the US and Europe earlier this year. In June, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the twice-yearly treatment under the brand name Yeztugo, while the European Commission (EC) approved Yeytuo in August . GlobalData Strategic Intelligence US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate? Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis. By GlobalData Learn more about Strategic Intelligence Yeytuo works by reducing the risk of the HIV-1 virus multiplying and spreading throughout the body if a person is exposed to the virus. The drug binds to the HIV-1 virus’s outer layer, interfering with multiple steps in the viral lifecycle. The MHRA recommends Yeytuo’s use alongside safer sex practices, such as condoms. Julian Beach, interim executive director of healthcare quality and access at the MHRA, stated: “The approval of Yeytuo marks the introduction of a six-monthly long-acting preventative option for sexually transmitted HIV-1 infection. “Blocking the virus from multiplying if exposure occurs, lenacapavir offers an additional choice alongside existing safer sex practices.” It is unclear whether the National Health Service (NHS) will offer the drug as a preventative option to patients. As per a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) entry , a provisional committee meeting is scheduled for March 2026. NICE did not immediately respond to Pharmaceutical Technology when approached for comment on the progress of UK reimbursement for the drug. Dr Paul Martin, chief executive of LGBT Foundation, a UK charity, said: “This approval [in the UK] is a game-changer for HIV prevention. Yeytuo gives people more choice, more control, and more hope. But we know progress cannot happen in isolation – ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 will take national collaboration, shared resources, and sustained investment.” Yeytuo’s approvals this year have been hailed as a momentous step for HIV prevention. Currently, most PrEP therapies require daily oral administration, which often leads to poor adherence. However, the drug’s cost has been a source of concern for accessibility. The US list price for Yeztugo is $28,218 per year for each patient. Gilead has allowed generics of the drug to be manufactured in 120 low- and middle-income countries to ensure that accessibility in areas of high risk is not a challenge, should the drug be approved in these countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of the PrEP treatment in the fight against HIV earlier this year, citing the drug’s high efficacy, long-acting nature, and improved convenience. WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the shot was the “next best thing” after a vaccine, the latter remaining elusive in pharma so far. The UK approval came alongside Gilead, in addition to eight other pharma companies, reaching a drug pricing deal with the Trump administration . Gilead will reduce the price of its Hepatitis C medication, Epclusa (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir), from $24,920 to $2,425 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx. In September, the drugmaker already agreed to deliver Yeztugo for up to two million people in the US as part of a partnership with the US State Department and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). GlobalData forecasts that lenacapavir, under all its brand names, will generate $5.3bn in global sales in 2031. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed Nominations are now closed for the Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards . A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact. Excellence in Action Awarded the 2025 Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Award for Business Expansion in Integrated Manufacturing , Upperton Pharma Solutions is rapidly expanding its UK GMP and sterile manufacturing footprint. Find out how Upperton’s integrated CDMO model helps pharma companies move from early development to clinical and niche commercial supply with fewer handovers and faster timelines. Discover the Impact