Generic version of Truvada available in U.S. by September 2020

(HealthDay)—A generic version of the HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug Truvada will be available in the United States by September 2020, a year earlier than expected, according to Gilead Sciences.

"Gilead reached an agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals in 2014 to allow the early launch of a generic version of Truvada into the market in 2020, a year earlier than required," Douglas Brooks, Gilead executive director for community engagement, wrote in an email shared with NBC News by the advocacy group PrEP4All.

A month's supply of generic Truvada is available in countries around the world for as little as $70, but the drug costs $1,600 to $2,000 in the United States.

Activists launched a campaign to convince Gilead to make the generic drug more widely available to combat the global HIV epidemic, NBC News reported.