Medical science has given a unique gift to sex workers but become a matter of controversy.

Medical science has given a unique gift to sex workers—but even this has become a matter of controversy.

Globally, the risk of HIV (AIDS) infection among sex workers is 30 times higher. Around 6% of sex workers worldwide are HIV positive.

Recently, a drug has been developed that prevents AIDS altogether. That means, with just two injections per year, a person can avoid getting AIDS—even if they have sex with someone who is HIV positive, they won’t get infected.

This issue is linked to a new HIV drug called Lenacapavir. In India, a social organization working with people affected by HIV, Sankalp, has opposed the patent application filed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences.

Sankalp argues that the patent application is based on an old compound, and according to Indian patent law, this cannot be considered a new invention. India’s patent law prevents “evergreening”, which means drug companies cannot repeatedly make minor changes to maintain patent monopoly and block affordable alternatives.

If Gilead receives the patent, it will last until August 2038. This would halt the production of cheaper generic versions of the drug in India, and people would be forced to buy expensive medicines. In this regard, Eldred Tellis, director of Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust, says that affordable generic HIV drugs have been crucial in saving lives worldwide—especially in India.

The annual cost of Lenacapavir in the U.S. is $42,250, but researchers at the University of Liverpool estimate that if it is produced generically in India, its cost could drop to $100 per year, and eventually even as low as $40 per year.

The Indian Patent Office will soon hold a hearing on this controversial issue. If Gilead gets the patent, access to affordable medication may become difficult, which would be a major blow to the fight against HIV. On the other hand, if the patent is rejected, India will be able to manufacture generic versions, making affordable and effective treatment accessible to HIV patients.

I believe Gilead will likely be granted the patent, since—even if the compound is old—Gilead must have conducted extensive trials and presented the old compound in a new treatment form specifically to prevent AIDS.

लेजर तकतीक से केंसर का पता लगाना होगा आसान

कैंसर एक गंभीर स्वास्थ्य समस्या है, और इसके जल्दी पहचानने से उपचार की सफलता दर में सुधार हो सकता है। हाल के वर्षों में, वैज्ञानिक नई तकनीकों पर काम कर रहे हैं, जिसमें लेजर लाइट का उपयोग कैंसर का पता लगाने के लिए एक प्रमुख तकनीक बनता जा रहा है।

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Science Can't Help With Climate Change But Spirituality Can