New 'vaccine-like' HIV drug could cost just $40

The antiretroviral drug Lenacapavir, developed by US pharmaceutical giant Gilead, has been hailed as a potential game-changer in the fight against HIV. Early trials have found the treatment is 100 percent effective in preventing HIV infection. And it only needs to be injected twice a year, making the drug far easier to administer than current regimens requiring daily pills.

The treatment currently costs patients over $40,000 a year in a range of countries including the United States, France, Norway and Australia. There were 1.3 million new HIV infections last year, while 39 million people are living with the virus, according to the World Health Organization.