# Merck wants to remake HIV prevention. Advocates want to know what it will cost.

- slug: merck-wants-to-remake-hiv-prevention-advocates-want-to-know-what-it-will-cost
- date: 2026-04-07
- category: Biotech & Life Sciences

Every day, roughly 1,300 people acquire HIV. Prevention drugs have existed for a decade. The problem is logistics, not science. Merck thinks a once-monthly pill can solve it — and researchers say it could be manufactured for under $5 per person per year.

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