Letter Calling for an Access Plan for Merck’s HIV Prevention Pill

February 11, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Universities Allied for Essential Medicines joins 177 organizations globally in calling Merck’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Robert M. Davis, to develop a meaningful global access strategy for MK-8527, a promising long-acting HIV prevention pill now in Phase III clinical trials.

The letter urges Merck to commit now — during the clinical development phase — to a comprehensive access strategy that includes a plan to:

1. Pursue multiple regulatory pathways

2. Commit to fair, transparent pricing from the outset

3. Establish pro-access, non-exclusive licensing that includes all LMICs

4. Refrain from filing or enforcing secondary patents that could delay generic entry

5. Support technology transfer and manufacturing capacity

6. Embed access planning throughout the R&D process

At a moment when HIV programs globally face an uncertain funding landscape, it is critical that this potential new tool for the HIV response will rapidly be made accessible to all who need it. Embedding access early on in the development process is key to setting MK-8527 down the path of equitable access.