The cost of Gilead’s Atripla and other high-priced AIDS drugs are putting an unbearable strain on cash-strapped ADAP programs, limiting access to lifesaving treatment for those most in need.

ADAP is the payer of last resort for thousands of people with AIDS who cannot afford their medicines. However, due to the high price of AIDS drugs such as Atripla – which costs over $10,000 per year for ADAP– this program can no longer serve all the people who rely on it. As of April 2011, over 7,700 Americans are on ADAP waiting lists to receive medicines. These individuals now face a potentially fatal interruption in their treatment.

Patient assistance programs are an inadequate substitute for a functional ADAP program. Help is needed now or this crisis will get worse.

Gilead has generated billions in revenue from ADAP and now it’s time for them to step up. AIDS Healthcare Foundation calls on CEO John Martin to do the right thing and immediately lower drug prices for ADAP. Thousands of lives depend on it.