(1/10) THREAD: After months of pressure, the federal government just sued @GileadSciences over their infringement of patents for two medications used to prevent HIV (PrEP). Have questions on how this happened and what it means? Follow along: #BreakThePatent
@GileadSciences (2/10) PrEP is an extraordinarily effective treatment. Taking a pill once a day can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99%: a more effective treatment than many vaccines.
@GileadSciences (3/10) In many countries, a generic version of the pill is available for ~$60 a year. In the US however, the pharma company @GileadSciences has the monopoly on PrEP, charging more than $20,000 a year for the SAME life-saving medication.
@GileadSciences (4/10) To make matters worse, @GileadSciences did not fund the initial research behind the medication and profited over 3 billion dollars in royalties. The US government, aka your tax dollars, and @gatesfoundation paid for almost the entirety of the research and development.
@GileadSciences @gatesfoundation (5/10) In March, we helped expose that the US Government actually owned secret patents on PrEP that they were neglecting to enforce against @GileadSciences:
wapo.st/2PUGRBe
wapo.st/2PUGRBe
@GileadSciences @gatesfoundation (6/10) All summer activists continued to pressure the government to take a more aggressive stance against @GileadSciences, and leverage all available tools, from patent enforcement to march-in rights, to lower the price of PrEP, and allow millions to gain access to the drug.
@GileadSciences @gatesfoundation (7/10) Today marks a critical first step in providing access to effective HIV prevention to everyone who needs it. Health and Human Services decided to sue Gilead for patent infringement citing their behavior as “malicious” and “consciously wrongful.”
@GileadSciences @gatesfoundation (8/10) Despite all this, the HIV epidemic continues to persist. HIV is transmitted to more than 100 Americans everyday, with communities of color and queer people, particularly in the South, disproportionately affected.
@GileadSciences @gatesfoundation (9/10) The 3 billion in lost royalties that @GileadScience owes the American taxpayer are more than enough to get free PrEP in the hands of everyone who needs it AND fund education and outreach programs if the cost were lowered to a reasonable generic price.
@GileadSciences @gatesfoundation (10/10) Those outreach programs are critical to breaking down the many structural and systemic barriers that keep the most at risk communities from accessing effective HIV prevention. Today is just the beginning. Join the fight: breakthepatent.org #BreakThePatent
