Gilead and the Elton John AIDS Foundation Announce Additional Five Years of RADIAN Partnership to Help Address the Growing HIV Crisis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

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07/22/2024 - 04:00 AM

– RADIAN’s Five-Year, $25 Million Extension Will Increase Support for Local Organizations and Drive Progress to Help Turn the Tide on HIV Across the Region –

– RADIAN Will Expand Geographic Focus to Provide Key Populations and Communities Impacted by the Conflict in Ukraine with HIV Prevention and Care Services –

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) today announced a five-year extension of the RADIAN^® partnership to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable key populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) where the HIV epidemic is growing. RADIAN will continue supporting the initiatives of trusted, grassroots organizations who are working to address HIV-related challenges in the region.

Anne Aslett (CEO, Elton John AIDS Foundation) and Daniel O'Day (Chairman and CEO, Gilead Sciences) visit RADIAN Model City in Kazakhstan. (Photo: Business Wire)

While HIV is declining globally, EECA is one of the few regions in the world where the epidemic is getting worse, with new HIV diagnoses and AIDS-related deaths increasing by 20% and 34%, respectively, since 2010.¹ Of the 2.1 million people in EECA living with HIV, 41% are not aware of their HIV status and 50% are not on treatment– way below global 95-95-95-95 targets.¹

“We are committed to ensuring that the EECA region is not left behind because ending the HIV epidemic means ending it for everyone, everywhere,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilead Sciences. “During a recent visit to Kazakhstan, I met with RADIAN-supported community leaders who emphasized the importance of doubling down on our collaborative efforts. Over the next five years, RADIAN 2.0 will continue to address the structural drivers of the epidemic, strengthen HIV health systems, and enhance the capacities of local organizations for lasting impact.”

Since RADIAN was launched in 2019 it has had a significant impact on the HIV response in the region, reaching more than 271,000 people with HIV services, providing over 114,000 HIV tests, (re-) initiating over 26,500 people on antiretroviral therapy, and training more than 14,000 frontline workers to reduce stigma and discrimination.² These efforts are having an impact on communities most in need, however the situation in the region has escalated dramatically in recent years with the conflict in Ukraine further exacerbating the crisis.³ Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, human rights violations, stigma and discrimination are also hindering the HIV response across the region.⁴

“At the Elton John AIDS Foundation, we have a long history of supporting people living with or at risk of HIV across Eastern Europe and Central Asia – a region too often overlooked in the global HIV response. Because of insufficient access to HIV testing and effective treatment, 384 people newly acquire HIV every day in EECA and 120 people die of AIDS-related causes,” said Anne Aslett, CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.¹ “We are incredibly proud of our RADIAN partnership with Gilead Sciences, which is genuinely helping to turn the tide on the HIV epidemic in the region. Over the next few years, RADIAN will continue to help meet the needs of people most affected by HIV in EECA through innovative, scalable solutions and we are incredibly grateful to our resilient and determined local partners who share our ambition of leaving nobody behind.”

Over the next five years, RADIAN will extend its efforts to support collaborative, community-based initiatives to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable key populations across EECA, including people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, sex workers and Transgender people.

RADIAN will also expand its geographic reach to include countries hosting refugees fleeing Ukraine, including Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Germany, where there is an acute need for additional HIV services. Language barriers, social isolation and internalized stigma are all greatly hindering the ability of refugees living with or at risk of HIV to access the treatment and care they urgently need.⁵ RADIAN’s geographic expansion will provide more support to these vulnerable communities, improving access to HIV services and supporting their mental and social wellbeing.

RADIAN will continue to build on successes and learnings from the first five years of the partnership to help close gaps in HIV testing, prevention and care. Additionally, to support innovations that increase the effectiveness of the HIV response in EECA, RADIAN will introduce an innovation fund. The fund will accept creative applications on a rolling basis to allow for flexibility of funding opportunities as innovations emerge.

About RADIAN

RADIAN is a ground-breaking partnership between Gilead Sciences and the Elton John AIDS Foundation that supports grassroots organizations and partners in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) to meaningfully address the HIV-related challenges in the region. By supporting the delivery of community-based services and health systems, and by addressing structural barriers impeding the HIV response, RADIAN helps address the needs of key populations and marginalized communities – including people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, sex workers and Transgender people. RADIAN works closely with local leaders and community partners – RADIAN Changemakers and grantees – who are committed to creating change in the region through on-the-ground initiatives tackling the unique challenges of the HIV epidemic in EECA.

To learn more about how RADIAN is working to end HIV in EECA, visit www.radianhiv.org.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

For 35 years, Gilead has been a leading innovator in the field of HIV, driving advances in treatment, prevention and cure research. Gilead researchers have developed 12 HIV medications, including the first single-tablet regimen to treat HIV, the first antiretroviral for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help reduce new HIV infections, and the first long-acting injectable HIV treatment medication administered twice-yearly. Our advances in medical research have helped to transform HIV into a treatable, preventable, chronic condition for millions of people.

For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com.

About Elton John AIDS Foundation

The Elton John AIDS Foundation was established in 1992 and is one of the leading independent AIDS organizations in the world. The Foundation's mission is simple: an end to the AIDS epidemic. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is committed to overcoming the stigma, discrimination and neglect that keep us from ending AIDS. With the mobilization of our network of generous supporters and partners, we fund local experts across four continents to challenge discrimination, prevent infections, and provide treatment as well as influencing governments to end AIDS. www.eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org

¹ Data provided by UNAIDS (2024), https://www.unaids.org/en
² Data provided by the Elton John AIDS Foundation – June 2024
³ Jonas, Kai J. et al. The war refugees from Ukraine: an HIV epidemic is fleeing as well. AIDS 36(12):p 1745-1746, October 1, 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000003271, last accessed June 2024
⁴ Schweitzer AM et al, Addressing HIV stigma in healthcare, community, and legislative settings in Central and Eastern Europe, 2023. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10714556/, last accessed June 2024
⁵ European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Migrant health: HIV testing and counselling in migrant populations and ethnic minorities in EU/EEA/EFTA Member States. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/media/en/publications/Publications/1108_TER_HIV_in_migrants.pdf, last accessed July 2024.