E-DRUG: HIV Patent Pool - Letter published in Guardian
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Following a letter from Dominique Limet, CEO of ViiV to the Guardian
newspaper in the UK, the Stop AIDS Campaign had a further letter
published today encouraging their participation in the UNITAID
initiative and emphasising the scope included all developing countries:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/08/hiv-aids-developing-c
ountries-patent-pool
Letter text:
We welcome Dominique Limet's offer of support for Unitaid 's recently approved plan for a HIV drug patent pool (Letters, 2 January). Patent agreement puts pressure on AIDS drug firms. The involvement of ViiV and other pharmaceutical companies is
key to the success of this initiative, which could save millions of
lives. The patent pool is a groundbreaking voluntary mechanism which
will help to tackle the high prices of HIV drugs and the lack of
appropriate formulations, especially for children.
But despite some successful initiatives by individual companies such as ViiV, large
numbers are still excluded. Only 42% of those in need of HIV medication
receive it. In 2008 over a quarter of a million children died because
they couldn't access life-saving HIV medicines. By bringing together all
stakeholders, the patent pool could deliver a solution that matches the
scale of this problem.
It should be noted that Unitaid's objective is to expand access to HIV
treatment in all developing countries, not just the least-developed. We
congratulate ViiV on its willingness to engage; now the tens of
thousands of people who have supported our patent pool campaign will be
keen to see them help save lives right across the developing world by
contributing their HIV patents to the pool.
Diarmaid McDonald
Stop AIDS Campaign Coordinator
00 44 (0) 20 7324 4785
Stop AIDS Campaign
c/o UK Consortium on AIDS & International Development
Grayston Centre
28 Charles Square
London N1 6HT
www.stopaidscampaign.org.uk
"Diarmaid McDonald" <Diarmaid@aidsconsortium.org.uk>