Hopes rise in poorer countries after the US approves a $40-a-year generic version of the twice-yearly HIV jab lenacapavir

The FDA approved a generic version of lenacapavir — Gilead Sciences' twice-yearly HIV prevention injection — opening the door to mass rollout at a fraction of the branded drug's cost. The approval is seen as a landmark step towards ending Aids, with the generic priced at just $40 a year compared to tens of thousands for the original.

The $40 price point will apply across 120 lower-income countries, where HIV prevention access has historically been blocked by cost.

Lenacapavir requires only two injections a year, making it far easier to administer than daily oral PrEP pills in communities with limited healthcare infrastructure.

The World Health Organization has welcomed the approval as raising genuine hopes for low-income nations hardest hit by the HIV epidemic.