1 April 2020
Geneva, 31 March 2020 – The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) congratulates MedinCell on receiving a Unitaid grant to lead revolutionary long-acting medicines research in the fight against malaria. The IMPACT project seeks to develop a long-acting injectable form of ivermectin that would be easier to administer and adhere to. A long-acting injectable version of ivermectin could make an important contribution to the global goal of ending malaria as an epidemic by 2030.
MPP is proud to partner with all three of Unitaid’s long-acting projects, MedinCell, University of Liverpool and the University of Washington to step up the fight against Malaria, HIV, HepC and TB. MPP will leverage its expertise and model to address access barriers early in the development cycle and, to provide a pathway for low- and middle-income countries to promptly obtain these new products. With its recognised expertise in intellectual property-related facilitation, MPP will engage with the different stakeholders to secure partners in accelerating access to affordable quality revolutionary long-acting treatments in the countries where they are needed.
Press and Media
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.