На атазанавир будут выдавать добровольные лицензии

“This agreement will allow manufacturers world-wide to produce more affordable versions of atazanavir, and to combine atazanavir with other medicines to make treatment easier and more accessible in developing countries. Together with Bristol-Myers Squibb, we will be expanding access to an important HIV medicine,” said Greg Perry, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool.

This is the MPP’s first agreement covering a World Health Organization (WHO)-preferred second-line therapy. The WHO estimates there will be over 1 million people on second-line treatment by 2016, and many more will need access to these therapies.

“Second-line treatment is increasingly important as people living with HIV around the world develop resistance to their current regimens,” said Margaret Chan, Director General, WHO. “I welcome this move to help ensure urgently needed medicines are more widely available at affordable prices.”

The MPP has focused its negotiations on WHO recommended medicines to ensure more affordable access to HIV treatment in places where it is critically needed. Previous agreements with Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare [a joint venture of GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Shionogi] have expanded access to WHO-preferred first-line treatments for adults and children.

Under the terms of the agreement, a technology transfer package will be provided to sub-licensees to facilitate the manufacture of atazanavir. While royalties are not applicable in the vast majority of the countries and are waived for all paediatric products, any royalties that are collected under this licence agreement will be reinvested in local HIV/AIDS groups in those countries.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb has a legacy of working collaboratively with the HIV/AIDS community to help meet the diverse needs of patients living with this disease – from developing innovative medicines to supporting disease education efforts to ongoing clinical research,” said Dr. Douglas Manion, Senior Vice President, Development, Virology and Japan, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “Our collaboration with MPP builds on this legacy and reflects our commitment to help increase access to atazanavir for HIV patients in the developing world.”