New HIV prevention drug now available in 129 countries.
BY Mahnoor | 25-07-2026
Merck, called MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, today announced early parts of a plan to give quick, broad, and lasting access in low- and middle-income countries to alimatravir, a new once-monthly oral pill for preventing HIV. The drug, also called MK-8527, is being tested in two large studies.
EXPrESSIVE-10 works with the Gates Foundation to test safety and effectiveness in women and adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa. EXPrESSIVE-11 is enrolling people likely to get HIV across 16 countries. Both studies are now happening and focus on a simple idea: one pill a month instead of a daily pill.
Early studies show alimatravir works within an hour and protects for a month. It stays effective for about a week even if you take it late. Merck has made deals with seven generic drug makers to produce and sell it in 129 poor countries.
This includes three companies in sub-Saharan Africa and four in India, where most new HIV cases happen. Merck says this is the first time African makers have been included from the start.
In 2025, about 40.9 million people worldwide have HIV, with more than half in sub-Saharan Africa. A pill taken once a month could help them stick to treatment and get medicine more easily. Test results should come out next year in the second half, but Merck is already making more pills so cheap copies can be ready fast if it’s approved.
Alimatravir (MK-8527) is being studied as a possible once-a-month pill to prevent HIV-1. It stops reverse transcriptase in different ways, including:
blocking reverse transcriptase movement, causing quick chain termination, and making changes in viral DNA structure (delayed chain termination).
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