Algeria gains inclusion to ViiV Healthcare and MPP Adult licence enabling greater access to dolutegravir-based HIV treatments
Algeria is the newest addition to the list of countries to benefit from access to dolutegravir (DTG)-based treatments under the Medicines Patent Pool’s (MPP) and Aurobindo’s ongoing adult licences with ViiV Healthcare.
As of July 2020, Algeria became a lower middle-income country as per the World Bank classification, and therefore became eligible for inclusion in the adult voluntary licensing agreement between ViiV Healthcare and the MPP that has allowed (together with the license for children) generic manufacturers to produce and sell single and combination versions of DTG for adults and children.
With all its licences, MPP strives to ensure access to medicines to as many people as possible. “We are delighted that our existing adult licence now includes Algeria,” said MPP’s Executive Director, Charles Gore. “Our mission is to ensure everyone everywhere can afford to access the medicines they need.” The country joins the 94 low- and lower-middle-income countries that were already included in the MPP-ViiV Healthcare adult licence.
Helen McDowell, Head of Government Affairs ViiV Healthcare said, “We are 100% committed to responding to the challenges of the HIV epidemic and we know we cannot do this alone. We are very proud, that through our voluntary licences and our partnership with the MPP, we are able to enable greater access to DTG-based treatment options for people living with HIV in line with World Health Organization (WHO) HIV treatment guidelines and our mission.”
The ViiV Healthcare licences allow licensees to combine DTG into the fixed-dose combination of TLD (tenofovir disoproxil, lamivudine and dolutegravir). The one pill a day version represents over 95% of DTG-based treatments provided so far in the countries included in the licence. Since 2017, generic manufacturers have supplied 6.1 billion pills of generic DTG and TLD; this corresponds to at least 6.7 million people living with HIV having access to these WHO-recommended HIV treatments.1
Reference:
1. The number of people living with HIV on DTG-based products is estimated from the number of DTG and TLD pills supplied by MPP licensees between April 2017 and June 2020 (see latest MPP update on DTG at https://medicinespatentpool.org/progress-achievements/access-to-medicines-tracker/ for more information).
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