PrEP4All CAUTIOUSLY WELCOMES PrEP ANNOUNCEMENT BY MERCK, WARNS HIV PREVENTION SYSTEMS MUST BE PROTECTED
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2026 – PrEP4All, the national nonprofit organization focused on expanding access to HIV prevention and creating a national, federally funded PrEP program, today expressed cautious optimism regarding the announcement by Merck about access plans for its forthcoming monthly pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pill, Alimatravir. According to Merck, the pill is expected to become available to 129 countries around the globe through voluntary licensing agreements that could allow it to be provided at a cost of less than $5 per person per year. By working early with seven generic manufacturers, including three in sub-Saharan Africa, the company appears to be listening to advocacy criticisms of pricing for previous PrEP regimens; however, more will need to be done.
Since 2018, PrEP4All has called for vital HIV prevention pills to be priced at a level based upon manufacturing cost plus a reasonable profit. Should the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approve alimatravir next year following the completion of phase 3 trials, we are eager to see if the company’s commitment to access will lead to pricing that makes this exciting innovation available to publicly funded public health systems in countries not included in the announcement, including Mexico, Brazil, and the United States.
The announcement comes amid a devastating time for HIV prevention systems. Just this week, amfAR released a report finding that over 1700 clinics closed around the world following the Trump Administration’s attacks on global HIV funding, building on previous findings that PrEP prescriptions declined by 42% following the shutting out of key populations from critical PEPFAR HIV prevention funding at the start of last year. Domestic HIV prevention infrastructure is also being undermined – just last week advocates discovered that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the direction of the Office of Management and Budget, intends to divert $60 million a year in HIV prevention funding for community-based organizations. The decision has interjected significant uncertainty for HIV prevention providers in 75 districts across 35 states, many of whom may need to lay off staff and shutter programs– leading to decreased access to PrEP and increased HIV diagnoses.
Statement by PrEP4All Executive Director Jeremiah Johnson:
“It would be a cruel irony if a pharmaceutical company finally set up a PrEP pricing strategy that actually allows for public health access just as elements of the American government propose to turn their back on the HIV prevention funding and the systems we need to actually deliver it. Much remains to be seen in terms of Merck’s commitment to access in the U.S. and several middle-income countries not included in this agreement, but we are at a point where the benefits of better pricing will be severely undercut by the potential loss of domestic and actual loss of global HIV prevention clinics and organizations. We urge the Trump Administration to reverse course and work towards actually ending the HIV epidemic.”
Statement by PrEP4All Communications and Mobilization Manager Michael Chancley:
“More must be done by Merck to ensure that the company avoids some of the bizarre behaviors of other PrEP manufacturers who appear to be turning down money from the Brazilian government and Medicins Sans Frontieres to needlessly withhold access, and we support global advocates expressing frustration that Merck has once again left many middle-income countries out of early access planning. Unfortunately, in our current political climate, HIV prevention advocates must also fight to protect and expand the systems needed to deliver PrEP. We demand that the administration immediately spend PEPFAR and CDC HIV prevention funds as intended by Congress, and that appropriators turn away from a ridiculous proposal by the House majority to slash nearly a billion dollars in HIV prevention funding. The Senate should block that proposal and increase funding for HIV programs. And, as always, we urge for the establishment of a National PrEP Program for un- and underinsured populations, as recently envisioned by the PrEP Assistance Program Act introduced earlier this year by Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman.”
PrEP Fast Facts from PrEP4All:
- PrEP prevents HIV: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily pill or long-acting medication that reduces the risk of acquiring HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed, making it one of the most effective HIV prevention tools ever developed.
- Federally funded research has opened the door to ending new HIV transmissions: Scientific advances have made ending the HIV epidemic more achievable than ever, but access — not science — remains the biggest barrier.
- Too many people still can't access PrEP: Despite more than a decade of FDA-approved PrEP, significant racial, gender and economic disparities persist, with Black, Latino and other underserved communities far less likely to receive PrEP than those who could benefit.
- Federal HIV prevention funding is under attack: undermining global and domestic access to this life saving intervention.
- PrEP4All is fighting for a National PrEP Program: PrEP4All is leading the effort to establish a federally funded National PrEP Program so uninsured and underinsured people can access PrEP, laboratory services and related care regardless of their ability to pay.
- HIV prevention is a human right: Everyone, regardless of race, gender, income or geography, should have equitable access to lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment, because ending the HIV epidemic requires universal access.
Learn more at PrEP4All.org
