Gilead Sciences said on Wednesday it has granted royalty-free licenses to six generic drug manufacturers to make and sell cheaper copycat versions of its HIV prevention medicine in 120 low and lower-middle income countries.

Gilead Sciences Inc. said it is licensing its twice-yearly experimental HIV prevention drug lenacapavir to six generics makers after coming under fire from HIV advocates who argued the company was prioritizing profit over patients.

Gilead Sciences is granting licenses to six companies to produce lenacapavir for pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as for treating human immunodeficiency virus in heavily pre-treated adults with multidrug-resistant infections.

Gilead will license the HIV drug lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable, to six generic makers for 120 countries.