E-DRUG: Aurobindo Pharma Signs Medicines Patent Pool Licence
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Aurobindo Pharma Signs Medicines Patent Pool Licence to Make Medicines for Children Living with HIV
GENEVA, 21 JUNE 2013: Aurobindo Pharma Limited, a key producer of generic medicines, has signed an agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool that will allow it to produce key medicines for the treatment of children living with HIV.
Through a patent licence with the MPP, Aurobindo can now supply medicines containing abacavir in the 118 countries where 98.7% of children living with HIV reside. Abacavir is recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of paediatric HIV.
There are currently 3.4 million children living with HIV worldwide. But only 562,000 of them have access to medicines, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Treating children living with HIV can be challenging, as medicines suited to their specific needs are often unavailable. With this licence, Aurobindo looks forward to increasing the supply of quality, child-friendly HIV treatment in developing countries,” said P.V. Ramaprasad Reddy, chairman of Aurobindo.
The Medicines Patent Pool made the abacavir licence available for generic companies following an agreement it signed with ViiV Healthcare [a joint venture of GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Shionogi] in February 2013.
“Quality medicines at affordable prices are critical for combatting the HIV epidemic, and generic manufacturers like Aurobindo are an essential part of ensuring such medicines are available,” said Greg Perry, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “The agreement with ViiV is an important initial step towards making more child-friendly HIV medicines available where they are most needed.”
Aurobindo was also one of the first generic companies to take licences on several HIV medicines for adult use licensed to the Medicines Patent Pool by Gilead Sciences in July 2011.
Kaitlin Mara
Medicines Patent Pool
<kmara@medicinespatentpool.org>