The federal government is moving to lower Medicare costs for a widely used HIV medication, a step with major implications for LGBTQ communities, seniors, and people living with HIV. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it is negotiating prices for 16 high-cost drugs. Among them is Biktarvy, a once-daily pill used both to treat HIV and as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent infection. The drug is made by Gilead Sciences. Biktarvy use has surged since its FDA approval in 2018.
More than 100,000 Medicare enrollees used the drug between November 2024 and October 2025. During that same period, Medicare spent over $3.9 billion on it, while Gilead reported $13.4 billion in Biktarvy revenue in 2024. These negotiations are possible because of the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022 under former President Joe Biden. While the law received no Republican votes, its drug pricing provisions are now being implemented under President Donald Trump. Any new prices — including for drugs like Botox and Trulicity — would take effect on duty jailer found him afterJanuary 1, 2028.
