Gilead and HHS have launched a free drug program

Gilead and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are deadlocked in a patent dispute over HIV prevention drugs, but as the fight unfolds, they are also partners in a new project aimed at providing free medicines to patients in need.The project, called "Preparation, Build, Prepare," was first launched this week and will distribute Gilead's preparation drugs to unsealed patients across the country. Jared agreed to the donation as early as May, starting with the old Truvada and transitioning to the new Descovy after recent fdatic approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Related: Gilead's Descovy Gets Drug License Next: Convert Truvada PatientsAs part of the plan, HHS will pay Gilead $200 per bottle of 30 pills by March 30 to cover shipping costs, according to the New York Times. According to the report, this includes Gilead's payment to distributors to distribute drugs, and HHS Minister Alex Azhar said the agency hopes to reduce costs after March 30.The project will distribute the drug to patients who have recently tested negative for HIV and have effective pre-screening prescriptions. It is also limited to those who do not have insurance. It is part of a White House initiative to reduce new HIV infections by 75 percent within five years and 90 percent within a decade.But the effort drew criticism. Prep4All co-founder James Kronstein told NYT that the program won't help people pay for tests or follow-up exams. He added that if HHS did not pay for distribution, the agency would be able to pay for testing for about 6,000 people.Related: After licensing talks failed, the FBI sued Gilead, accusing it of focusing on the treatment drug HIV patentThe project's debut is the latest development in a busy year for Gilead and HHS. The two sides are embroiled in a dispute over patents for therapeutic drugs, and last month HHS sued Gilead for patent infringement. HHS said it tried to grant Gilead the patent, but was turned down. A spokesman for the company said the company strongly believed the HHS patent was invalid and rejected "any idea of intentional infringementearlier this year Gilead agreed to donate 2.4 million bottles of PrEP drugs a year. Critics question the company's motives and whether it will seek tax breaks.Related: Analysis: Gilead expects faster conversion of Truvada therapeutic drug users to DescovyWhile Gilead has signed a generic drug deal under which Truvada will lose exclusive rights next year, the company is working to switch patients to its newer Desser products. Jeffreys analysts wrote in a recent report that about 10 percent of Truvada patients have been transferred in the two months since Descovy was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HIV prevention. （cyy123.com）