Merck's Alimatravir Licensing Deal Accelerates HIV Prevention Options
The experimental HIV prevention medication alimatravir (AMI) has made significant progress in its development. As part of the EXPrESSIVE program, AMI is being studied as a monthly pill for PrEP, and if proven safe and effective, it could expand the number of available prevention options and introduce new delivery models.
A recent announcement by Merck/MSD granted seven direct licenses to generic manufacturers to produce and market AMI in 129 low- and middle-income countries. This move is considered a positive step towards equitable access, but several countries hosting the EXPrESSIVE 11 trial are still left out of the voluntary license territory.
A new academic analysis presented at AIDS 2026 suggests that AMI could be manufactured at large scale by generic companies and sold for as low as $3 per person per year. However, an affordable product is only impactful if people can access it, and experts emphasize the need for speed, scale, and equity in future monthly oral alimatravir introduction.