[e-drug] Roche To Transfer ARV Technology

e-drug
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E-DRUG: Roche To Transfer ARV Technology
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Roche To Transfer Technology For Protease Inhibitor Saquinavir To Drug Companies In Developing Countries
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?category=24Generic
13 Jan 2006 - 20pm (UK)

Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Roche on Thursday announced it will offer generic drug companies in developing countries assistance in producing the protease inhibitor saquinavir under its Technology Transfer Initiative,

The technology transfer for saquinavir -- which is recommended by the World Health Organization as a second-line HIV/AIDS treatment in resource-poor countries -- will be available for drug makers in 63 developing nations, according to a Roche release
(Roche release, 1/12). <http://www.roche.com/med-cor-2006-01-12b&gt;

About 69% of HIV-positive people worldwide live in countries covered under Roche's Technology Transfer Initiative, Dow Jones reports (Dow Jones, 1/12).

"We want to use the knowledge we have developed to help strengthen local manufacturing capability and hope to help as many manufacturers as possible in these hardest-hit countries by sharing our knowledge, so that they can learn and benefit from our technology," Roche CEO William Burns said. The company plans to have a fully operational team to handle requests by the second quarter of 2006. The team will be based in Africa and at the company's headquarters in Switzerland (Roche release, 1/12).

Leela McCullough, Ed.D.
Director of Information Services

SATELLIFE
30 California Street, Watertown, MA 02472, USA
Tel: +617-926-9400 Fax: +617-926-1212
Email: leela@healthnet.org
Web: http://www.healthnet.org

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E-DRUG: Roche To Transfer ARV Technology (2)
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Hello to all

I wish Roche dared to transfer technology for Nelfinavir. Saquinavir, the
oldest protease inhibitor, is not as useful now for AIDS treatment, is
difficult to take, needs to be boosted with Ritonavir, has a lot of
secondary effects and limitations (not to be used with Rifampicine because
of high hepatitis risk) and is clearly not in the basic ARV list of most
developing countries, as Indonesia. Their patent rights are either non
existent, or soon finishing in many countries (Fortovase patent in China
expired last December 2005)!.

I see it as a pure commercial and PR strategy. Roche has always been the
most difficult company among "Big Pharma" regarding price reductions for ARV
(Nelfinavir).

And what about their technology (or price reductions) for Viral Load
measurement?

Regards

Dr. Olaf Valverde Mordt
Jakarta, Indonesia
MSFB-Jakarta-Access@brussels.msf.org