Greater access to medicines and health technologies for those who need them

A closer look: TLD
TLD is a generic HIV combination available in low- and middle-income countries

By 2021 the fixed-dose combination of TLD in a single dosage – developed by MPP’s manufacturing partners – was already reaching almost 20 million people. The number of low- and middle-income countries receiving the WHO-preferred TLD treatment for HIV passed the milestone of 100 countries in 2022. Eleven of MPP’s generic manufacturing licensees have now supplied more than 726 million packs of TLD, which means that it is now the most widely used HIV regimen in the world.

What our partners say

Having access to high-quality low-cost essential medicines is fundamental for people living in low- and middle-income countries, such as India. TLD is a great example of how, in just a few years, and thanks to agreements between the originator company and MPP, this brilliant innovative treatment was developed by our generic companies and delivered to those in need in the world. I applaud the fact that people living with HIV in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries can now access this treatment.

Mercy Annapoorani is the Director of India’s Paneer HIV AIDS Positive Women Network

Collaboration across stakeholder groups identifies gaps, sets priorities for needs, and accelerates product investigation, development and delivery. This in turn helps to bring universal health coverage one step closer to reality.

MPP’s series of contributions to GAP-f’s new Strategy 2022–2024 allows us to continue to help tackle a broader set of diseases; it will bring us closer to our vision for all children to have equitable access to the medicines that are adapted to their needs.

The rapid rollout of paediatric DTG (pDTG) is a priority for children living with HIV. To ensure this transition to pDTG is undertaken safely and effectively, the GAP-f pDTG Task Team – co-led by MPP –developed a series of considerations for national HIV programmes, implementing partners, and service providers.

What our partners say

Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership and our many community partners welcome this announcement regarding the generic licensing of CAB-LA. CAB-LA will undoubtedly have a transformative impact on HIV prevention efforts in our communities. We are pleased to see that Afrocab’s and community partners’ advocacy around CAB-LA access did not go unheard. We now eagerly and anxiously await a bridging price to make CAB-LA accessible in low- and middle-income countries now. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the promise of CAB-LA is realised.

Jacque Wambui is an HIV-positive activist currently serving on the AfroCAB Treatment Access Partnership Community Advisory Board

• Prioritising potential biotherapeutic targets according to their potential for public health impact
• Supporting biosimilar product and clinical development, including through technology transfer to expedite regulatory approval
• Facilitating biosimilars’ entry and use in low-and middle-income countries by meeting procurement, supply chain and health system requirements

Focus on partnership

The Access to Medicine Foundation’s research has found that MPP has been the gold standard on voluntary licensing arrangements between originator pharmaceutical companies and generic medicine manufacturers, enabling broad access to people worldwide with a range of treatments. I believe more opportunities exist to use this model for the years to come, saving more lives. We incentivize companies to expand access using methods such as voluntary licensing, and without the MPP, the scale and scope of access will be limited to benefit only a few patients worldwide.

Jayasree K. Iyer is CEO of the Access to Medicine Foundation

Focus on partnership: The Access to Oncology Medicines Coalition

In May 2022, MPP joined the Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control, the aim of this new global initiative is twofold: to improve access to essential cancer medicines in low- and lower-middle income countries, and to increase the capacity for diagnosing cancer and for the proper handling and supply monitoring of these medicines. MPP’s role in the Coalition is to facilitate affordable access to cancer treatments through non-exclusive licences to generic manufacturers.

The approach that the ATOM Coalition has taken for the acquisition of new medications for cancer patients in low- and lower-middle income countries includes on-patent and off-patent medications. Sustained financially accessible on-patent medicines are only possible through voluntary licences (VLs). MPP’s depth and breadth of experience and knowledge in utilizing VLs for infectious disease makes them the ideal partner for the ATOM Coalition to tackle the complexity and diversity of cancer therapies. Without a full spectrum of medications that MPP’s participation and contribution will create, we would fail to meet the needs of our patients.

Dr. Dan Milner is ATOM’s Executive Director

What our partners say

What we at Hetero find most useful is the support we receive from MPP’s Indian office, this can be on the industry landscape reports with the market share and regulatory approvals of licensed products or providing clarity on the patent situation in different markets. This sharing of scientific and commercial updates gives us a better understanding of the market and our positioning. The MPP team also helps resolve technical issues which may arise in product development and filing with regulatory authorities. What appeals to us in MPP licences is that it ensures a level playing field for all the sublicensees with the terms and conditions, territory, and timelines common to all.

Bhavesh Shah is the Director of International Marketing for Hetero, a generic pharmaceutical company based in India