UNITAID approves breakthrough plan to make Aids treatment more widely available at lower cost – Patent pool could save over one billion US dollar a year
GENEVA, 14 December 2009: The Executive Board of UNITAID (a UN-entity housed by WHO) Monday made a landmark decision to establish a Patent Pool for AIDS medicines.
The pool, scheduled to start operating in mid-2010, aims to make newer medicines available in patient-adapted form, at lower prices, for low- and middle-income countries.
UNITAID has committed to provide start-up funds of up to 4 million US dollar over the next year. Expected savings exceed one billion dollar a year, which will make more medicines available for more people.
– This is an historic day, said Philippe Douste-Blazy, Chair of UNITAID’s Executive Board, adding: – UNITAID has now put in place a mechanism that will make medical advances work for the poor, while compensating com-panies for sharing their technology.
The Patent Pool will allow companies to make lower cost versions of widely patented new medicines by creating a common space for patent holders to license their technology in exchange for royalties.
This will spur competition and further bring down the price of vital new and effective medicines, giving hope to millions of patients. Companies with which UNITAID has had consultations include Gilead, Tibotec, Merck and Sequoia.
GLÆDE I OXFAM
The international aid agency, OXFAM, Tuesday welcomed the announcement by international drug purchasing agency UNITAID to create a patent pool for HIV drugs.
Because HIV becomes resistant to treatment over time, millions now need expensive second-generation medicines. However the prohibitive cost of these drugs makes them unavailable to most who need them.
This new agreement will mean drugs that currently cost about 1.000 dollar a year could be available for as little as 100 dollar.
The voluntary initiative will ‘pool’ drug patents, allowing manufacturers to produce affordable generic versions of second-generation drugs. In return the generic manufacturers pay a fair royalty payment to the originator pharmaceutical company, OXFAM stated.
UNITAID has identified 19 products from nine companies for potential inclusion into the pool. The pool will facilitate the development of fixed-dose combinations (FDCs). For some years now clinical evidence has revealed that these combinations are the best way for patients to access safe, effective treatment.
Until now, patents have created barriers to developing FDCs combining newer and more effective drugs from different companies. Today, with the first concrete step in the realisation of the Patent Pool, the door is open for new FDCs to enter the market.
– FDCs are especially important in the treatment of children, who make up 10 per cent of current treatment needs, said Jorge Bermudez, UNITAID Executive Secretary.
– The Patent Pool will greatly help us accomplish our mission of scaling up treatment access, particularly for specific target groups otherwise neglected by the market – that is, children and people who fail on older therapies, noted he.
HAR VÆRET LÆNGE UNDERVEJS
The idea of a Patent Pool has been in discussion for a number of years. In 2006, Knowledge Ecology International and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) proposed it to UNITAID. Today UNITAID has become the first international body to translate this idea into reality.
– Today is a good day for people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, said Nelson Otwoma, the HIV/AIDS community representative on UNITAID’s Executive Board.
– When my son was a baby we had to break pieces of adult tablets for him – treating him was guess work. The Pool gives me hope that we will have better medicines to treat children in the future, noted he.
– We have had enormous interest from companies and political support from numerous constituencies around the globe, said Ellen ‘t Hoen, in charge of the Patent Pool for UNITAID.
– We are now ready to move to the next phase – reaching agreements with companies to get the drugs out, she stressed.
Contact: Daniela Bagozzi, UNITAID Communication, Te. +41 22 791 45 44; Mob. +41 79 475 54 90; Email [email protected]
Se også
www.unitaid.eu/en/The-Medicines-Patent-Pool-Initiative.html
og
www.unitaid.eu
Kilder: UNITAID og OXFAMs websites
