Opening the Door to Cheaper HIV Drugs for Children
By Preeti Singh, February 24, 2015
Scanning electron micrograph of HIV particles infecting a human H9 T cell, colorized in blue, turquoise, and yellow.
The UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced today they’ve struck a licensing agreement with Merck—a first-time partner for MPP—for use of their pediatric HIV drug in the low- and middle-income countries with the highest burden of disease. Ninety-eight percent of children with HIV in the developing world live in these countries, which include India, South Africa and Nigeria.
Although the world has made significant strides in achieving access to HIV/AIDS medicines, of the 3.2 million children with HIV/AIDS, only 760,000 children received antiretroviral treatment in 2013. As drugs best suited for children, especially in developing countries, are not available, it has been difficult to scale-up treatment.
To learn more, check out the articles below.
Merck grants free license for pediatric HIV drug – Associated Press
Merck ofrece licencia gratis para fármaco pediátrico de VIH – Associated Press—Spanish
New deal allows generics makers license to sell HIV drug – Devex
Merck places children’s HIV drug in shared non-profit patent pool – Reuters
