On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 2019, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP)’s Executive Director Charles Gore discusses his personal connection to the event and how it has shaped his overall vision for MPP.

Watch the full interview

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 71 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection[1], with more than 400,000 dying each year from cirrhosis or liver cancer resulting from infection[2]. MPP contributes to HCV elimination efforts by licensing new and pipeline pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Currently these are daclatasvir (DAC) – part of the WHO-recommended preferred first-line regimen; ravidasvir (RAV) – an investigational DAA; and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) – a WHO-recommended pan-genotypic treatment.

 

Through these licences, MPP works with ten generic partners to accelerate the development and distribution of low-cost, high-quality, effective, easy-to-use treatments in countries with high HCV burden.

MPP also holds licences covering tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), benefitting those living with chronic hepatitis B, which affects 257 million people worldwide[3].

Learn more about MPP’s work on hepatitis

[1] World Health Organization, Hepatitis C Fact Sheet, July 2019

[2] World Health Organization, Access to Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment for People Who Inject Drugs and People in Prisons – A Global Perspective, April 2019

[3] World Health Organization, Hepatitis B Fact Sheet, July 2019