GSK licenses companies to make cheap copies of HIV prevention drug
GSK waived IP rights of their anti HIV prevention drug for Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla and Viatris
LONDON (Web Desk) - British drugmaker GSK has signed deals with three companies allowing them to make inexpensive generic versions of its long-acting HIV preventive medicine for use in lower-income countries, where the majority of new cases occur.
The injected drug cabotegravir was approved by regulators in the United States in late 2021. Last July, GSK announced a program with the United Nations-backed healthcare organisation, the Medicines Patent Pool, which aims to get poor countries access new HIV therapies far earlier than they did for previous HIV medicines.
During the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Africa in the 1990s and early 2000s, in which many millions of people died, treatments used widely in wealthy countries were unavailable on the continent.GSK said last year the new program could result in the generic form of its injection being available in lower-income countries beginning in 2026.
The drugmaker's HIV treatment division, ViiV Healthcare, said in a statement on Wednesday it had issued voluntary licenses - waiving intellectual property rights - to Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla and Viatris, which will manufacture the generic versions of cabotegravir.
The generics will be supplied in 90 countries, subject to regulatory approvals there, the statement said.
