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The new partnership will provide one six-month dose of injectable PrEP in Africa for every new PrEP patient who starts care through Freddie in Canada or the United States.<\/p>\n
TORONTO, ON\u00a0\u2013\u00a0AUGUST 6,\u00a02026\u00a0\u2013 Freddie, one of North America\u2019s leading 2SLGBTQ+ healthcare platforms, today announced a new partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to launch\u00a0PrEP\u00a0it Forward, an initiative that connects HIV prevention efforts in North America with expanded access to long-acting HIV prevention across Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through the program, every person who starts\u00a0PrEP\u00a0through Freddie in Canada or the United States will fund one six-month dose of lenacapavir, the breakthrough twice-yearly injectable form of\u00a0PrEP, for someone in Africa, delivered through CHAI\u2019s existing partnerships with government HIV programs already reaching patients on the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The partnership brings together Freddie\u2019s\u00a0expertise\u00a0in expanding access to\u00a0PrEP\u00a0across North America with CHAI\u2019s longstanding work to improve access to innovations in HIV care globally, creating a model that links every new\u00a0PrEP\u00a0start through Freddie to increase access to HIV prevention in Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the beginning, we knew Freddie\u2019s mission couldn\u2019t stop\u00a0in North\u00a0America,\u201d said Amaan Banwait, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at\u00a0PurposeMed, Freddie\u2019s parent company. \u201cOur first responsibility was building access to\u00a0PrEP\u00a0across Canada and the U.S., but we always envisioned a future where every step forward we took could help someone else gain access to care. As we became a leader in offering injectable\u00a0PrEP, partnering with CHAI felt like a natural next step because they\u2019re doing the same work globally that we\u2019ve been focused on here at home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The partnership was informed by Freddie\u2019s growing leadership in injectable\u00a0PrEP, including lenacapavir and CHAI\u2019s work accelerating access to the medication across low- and middle-income countries. Existing relationships, including team members with\u00a0previous\u00a0experience at CHAI and conversations between leadership at both organizations, helped bring the collaboration to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited about this partnership because it does something genuinely new: it turns one person\u2019s decision to protect their own health into protection for someone thousands of miles away,\u201d said Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of CHAI. \u201cFreddie built its work protecting people from HIV in North America, and now they\u2019re extending that protection to people at risk across the world. Every person who starts\u00a0PrEP\u00a0through Freddie helps protect someone at risk in Africa. With a breakthrough like lenacapavir \u2014 nearly 100 percent effective, and now more affordable thanks to CHAI and our partners \u2014 that solidarity is how we end the HIV epidemic\u00a0everywhere .\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although significant advances have transformed care, HIV\u00a0remains\u00a0a significant public health challenge. New HIV diagnoses continue to rise across North America, and many countries in sub-Saharan Africa continue to experience some of the world\u2019s highest HIV incidence rates. At the same time, fewer than one in four people who could\u00a0benefit\u00a0from\u00a0PrEP\u00a0currently receive it, and access to long-acting options like lenacapavir\u00a0remains\u00a0constrained by affordability and supply in many parts of the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLenacapavir has the potential to fundamentally change HIV prevention because it removes one of the biggest barriers people face with\u00a0PrEP, the need to take a pill every single day,\u201d said Banwait. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen firsthand how transformative this innovation can be for patients in North America. Through this partnership, we have an opportunity to help accelerate access globally by supporting an organization with the expertise,\u00a0relationships\u00a0and infrastructure to bring this medication to the communities that need it most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While\u00a0PrEP\u00a0has often been associated primarily with the 2SLGBTQ+ community in North America, a community Freddie has proudly served since its founding, the global HIV epidemic affects a wide range of populations, including women and many underserved communities. Through\u00a0PrEP\u00a0it Forward, Freddie hopes to broaden public understanding that HIV prevention is for anyone who could\u00a0benefit\u00a0from it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are increasingly aware that access to healthcare isn\u2019t something everyone can take for granted,\u201d added Banwait. \u201cIf you\u2019re fortunate enough to have access to care, this campaign gives you a simple way to help someone else access that same opportunity. We also hope it broadens the conversation around who\u00a0PrEP\u00a0is for. Freddie will always be proud of our roots serving the 2SLGBTQ+ community, but HIV\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0affect just one population. Prevention should be available to everyone who can benefit from it, regardless of where they live.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Freddie and CHAI will celebrate the program\u2019s early impact on December 1, 2026, in recognition of World AIDS Day, with a special event planned in the United States, at a location to be announced soon. The gathering will bring together healthcare leaders, advocates,\u00a0partners\u00a0and supporters to mark the initiative\u2019s progress and highlight the shared commitment to making HIV prevention more\u00a0equitable\u00a0around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To learn more about PrEP it Forward or to start PrEP, visit gofreddie.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n About Freddie:<\/p>\n Freddie (gofreddie.com<\/a>) is the #1-rated online PrEP clinic in North America, and a leading telehealth platform built for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. With over 50,000 patients served across North America, Freddie provides accessible, judgment-free care across HIV prevention, sexual health, and an expanding range of health treatments through a seamless mix of online and in-person care. Freddie currently operates across Canada in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, as well as across all 50 U.S. states, helping patients access affirming healthcare without the traditional barriers often associated with care.<\/p>\n About Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI):<\/p>\n The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. For more information, please visit: www.clintonhealthaccess.org<\/a><\/p>\n Media Contacts:<\/p>\n Tony Koutoulas,\u00a0Media Specialist, Freddie,\u00a0tony@tkpr.ca<\/a><\/p>\n