Long-Acting HIV Medicines and the Pandemic Inequality Cycle - Rethinking Access

The article highlights how the rise of long-acting HIV antiretroviral medicines offers a pivotal opportunity to reimagine access to care, especially for populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Drawing lessons from past inequities in HIV treatment distribution, the authors argue for a nonlinear global approach that emphasizes decentralized production, early and wide licensing of drugs, and policy shifts that prioritize equity over market priorities. Through case examples and historical parallels, they make a compelling call for global cooperation to prevent repeating cycles of delayed access, advocating that long-acting treatments become game changers in ending the AIDS pandemic if access barriers can be overcome.

The article highlights how the rise of long-acting HIV antiretroviral medicines offers a pivotal opportunity to reimagine access to care, especially for populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Drawing lessons from past inequities in HIV treatment distribution, the authors argue for a nonlinear global approach that emphasizes decentralized production, early and wide licensing of drugs, and policy shifts that prioritize equity over market priorities. Through case examples and historical parallels, they make a compelling call for global cooperation to prevent repeating cycles of delayed access, advocating that long-acting treatments become game changers in ending the AIDS pandemic if access barriers can be overcome.