17 January 2022
Sebastien Morin, PhD; Marc Lallemant, MD; Anthony Garcia-Prats, MD; Linda Lewis, MD; Melynda Watkins, BSc Chem; Carlo Giaquinto, MD; Marie Valentin, PharmD; Martina Penazzato, PhD; and John C. Reeder, PhD; on behalf of the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations (GAP-f).
Abstract: Children, although at lower risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19 relative to adults, still stand to benefit from therapeutic interventions. Understanding of COVID-19 clinical presentation and prognosis in children is essential to optimise therapeutic trials design. This perspective illustrates how to collectively accelerate paediatric COVID-19 therapeutic research and development, based on the experience of the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations.
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The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.