The Medicines Patent Pool was thrilled to be present at #AFRAVIH2024 that took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from 16-19 April.
MPP Executive Director Charles Gore participated in Unitaid symposium and discussed MPP’s contribution to the flight against HIV through facilitating access to affordable essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries.
MPP held a symposium on the 10 years of efforts to enabling access to dolutegravir.
Symposium MEDICINES PATENT POOL : 10 ans d’efforts pour un large accès au DTG : cette molécule qui a transformé I=I en réalité
In April 2014, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and ViiV Healthcare signed two licensing agreements to accelerate access to quality and affordable versions of dolutegravir (DTG) and its combinations, including TLD, the fixed-dose combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine, and dolutegravir. To date, the agreements allow generic manufacturers to produce low-cost versions of DTG for at least 95 countries for the adult agreement and 123 countries for the children’s agreement.
Today, approximately 24 million people take generic DTG-based treatment regimens daily. This treatment has revolutionised the lives of people living with HIV, as it is a highly effective and well-tolerated combination that contributes to rapidly suppressing the virus and reducing transmission.
In April 2024, as we celebrate 10 years of equitable access to DTG, crucial questions arise regarding the actual adoption of DTG in Francophone Africa and its impact on achieving the 90-90-90 targets. According to UNAIDS, West and Central Africa accounts for 4.8 million of the 39 million people living with HIV. There are 160,000 new infections per year, including 51,000 among children under 15 years old. HIV-related deaths amount to 120,000 per year.
This symposium organised by the Medicines Patent Pool looked back on the past 10 years of access to dolutegravir and raised questions related to the future of HIV treatments.
5:15 PM • Opening of the symposium, Gelise MCCULLOUGH (Geneva, Switzerland)
5:17 PM • Introduction: From vision to reality, optimising first-line ARV treatments in Francophone Africa, Philippe DUNETON (Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland)
5:25 PM • Video on DTG in Senegal
5:30 PM • The challenges and opportunities related to the deployment and acceptance of DTG-based regimens, particularly for key populations: the case of Senegal Eloi, KAMBANCK (Dakar, Senegal)
5:35 PM • Ensuring access to DTG for women and children, Adigata Nadia ADINGRA (Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire)
5:40 PM • Video message from ViiV Healthcare reflecting on the highlights of the license signing and partnership with MPP
5:45 PM • Roundtable on the impact, challenges, and upcoming opportunities moderated by Fogué Foguito, Executive Director Positive-Generation, Cameroon, Fogué FOGUITO (Yaoundé)
6:20 PM • Questions & Answers
6:35 PM • Conclusion, Thomas TCHETMI (Dakar, Senegal)
MPP-Unitaid Booth at AFRAVIH
Unitaid session
MPP session
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.