In February 2013, the MPP announced a paediatric collaboration with ViiV Healthcare. The collaboration includes a licence on paediatric abacavir (ABC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO)-preferred treatment for children from three months to 10 years of age. The parties also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) detailing the MPP and ViiV’s commitment to collaborate in other areas to improve HIV paediatric care.
With the MPP and ViiV’s agreement, 118 countries, including those with the highest populations of children living with the virus, can benefit from low-cost ABC. In November 2014, the MPP and ViiV Healthcare extended the licensing agreement to three more countries: Ukraine, Peru and Venezuela. The licence now includes at least 121 countries, covering 99.3% of children living with HIV in low and middle-income countries.