Trump says administration secured ‘historic donation’ of HIV prevention drugs to help end epidemic

President Trump on Thursday said that his administration secured a “historic” donation of the HIV-prevention drug Truvada for PrEP. 

“Great news today: My Administration just secured a historic donation of HIV prevention drugs from Gilead to help expand access to PrEP for the uninsured and those at risk,” he tweeted, referring to Gilead Sciences, which makes the drug. 

“Will help us achieve our goal of ending the HIV epidemic in America!” he added, while quote-tweeting a thread about the donation by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. 

Great news today: My Administration just secured a historic donation of HIV prevention drugs from Gilead to help expand access to PrEP for the uninsured and those at risk. Will help us achieve our goal of ending the HIV epidemic in America! https://t.co/wux5QasWgW

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2019

Azar tweeted Thursday that Gilead would donate the medicine for up to 200,000 people every year for as many as 11 years as a result of talks between the company and the administration.

I’m pleased to announce that as a result of discussions between the Trump Administration and Gilead Sciences, Inc., Gilead has agreed to make a historic donation of #HIV prevention medication for up to 200,000 individuals each year for up to 11 years.

— Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) May 9, 2019

Gilead also announced the donation to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a Thursday press release. It said it would give the CDC up to 2.4 million bottles of the medication Truvada each year for uninsured, at-risk Americans. {mosads}

“This medication donation is among the largest ever in the United States and is part of Gilead’s broader ongoing initiatives to help ensure that everyone who can benefit from PrEP is able to access it,” the company said in a statement. 

President Trump previously said that ending AIDS in the U.S. within 10 years is one of his goals. 

“My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years,” he said during his February State of the Union address. “Together, we will defeat AIDS in America.”