The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) took part in AIDS 2026, the world’s leading conference on HIV and AIDS, brought together policymakers, researchers, civil society, communities, and industry to share the latest scientific advances and discuss global responses to the epidemic.
Held every two years, the International AIDS Conference serves as a key platform to shape policy, accelerate innovation, and strengthen collaboration across sectors to improve prevention, treatment, and care.
At AIDS 2026, MPP highlighted how voluntary licensing and partnerships can help translate innovation into equitable access to HIV medicines, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Through a satellite session, booth activities, scientific presentations and participation in the LIVING 2026 pre-conference, MPP engaged with partners and communities on how new and existing treatment options can better reach diverse patient populations and deliver real-world impact.
See the overall program
MPP, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Unitaid, convened a satellite session focused on the evolving HIV treatment landscape.
Session overview
While TLD remains the most used HIV treatment globally, a growing range of non-TLD regimens — including TAF-based regimens, oral dual therapy, and long-acting dual injectable treatments — are now recommended by WHO offering important opportunities to optimise treatment for different populations. However, awareness of these options and of their access pathways remains uneven, and their implementation varies widely across regions. In Latin America and the Caribbean, countries are exploring treatment simplification and cost reduction opportunities that oral dual therapy offers, in particular as a strategy to reduce long-term toxicity from tenofovir in settings where access to generic TAF-based regimens is limited. There is also interest in emerging treatments, such as long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine. Given how widespread and affordable TLD has become, ensuring sustainable procurement and equitable access remains a central consideration in exploring any of these options.
This session examined a global overview of the evolving landscape of non-TLD antiretroviral regimens and discuss how these innovations can translate into real impact for people living with HIV. A regional focus on Latin America and the Caribbean highlighted implementation opportunities and challenges, including from an access and equity lens.
Key speakers
Throughout the conference, MPP welcomed partners and participants at Booth #717 in the exhibition area.
MPP co-hosted discussions and informal sessions exploring access to paediatric HIV medicines, community-centred implementation and the pathway from innovation to impact.
GAP-f pHIV task team members’ Conversation: Accelerating the Transition to pALD – Wednesday 29 July, 10:45-11:30 – MPP booth #717 With pALD now supplied in 47 countries, important progress has been made in expanding access to improved HIV treatment for children. This interactive session explored what has been learned from pALD introduction and scale-up to date, assess the current state of rollout, and discuss what is needed to accelerate a smooth transition in countries yet to benefit from the formulation. Representatives from MPP, AfroCAB, PATA, EGPAF and Unitaid shared community, programme and implementation perspectives, highlighting practical lessons and priorities for the next phase of pALD rollout.
From Saturday Sessions to Stronger Futures: Youth Leadership, Peer Support and HIV Care in Kenya – Wednesday 29 July, 16:00-17:00 – MPP booth #717 Since 2024, Victor Cheptumo, HIV lab technician (Maralal – Kenya), has been leading weekly “Saturday Sessions” for children and young people living with HIV in Kenya. In the session, he shared how peer support, youth leadership and improved treatment options such as pALD are helping young people stay engaged in care, strengthen adherence and build confidence for the future.
From Innovation to Impact: Operationalising the Journey from Innovation → Access → Community Uptake → Impact – Thursday 30 July, 14:00-15:30 – MPP booth #717 Co-organised by MPP and AfroCAB, this interactive session explored how innovation in HIV treatment is translated into real-world impact for communities. Representatives from MPP, AFROCAB, PAHO and the HIV community discussed the journey from voluntary licensing and affordable product development to community uptake and improved health outcomes. The session highlighted the critical role of partnerships, community engagement and regional collaboration in expanding access to HIV medicines, including paediatric formulations, while addressing barriers such as stigma, treatment literacy and healthcare costs.
MPP presented new research at the conference:
“Access to quality affordable WHO-recommended non-TLD first-line HIV treatment – TAF-based, dual oral,and long-acting – regimens in LMICs: Mapping the landscape of MPP-licensed products” TUPEF635 – To be presented by Sébastien Morin on Tuesday 28 July, 12:00-13:00 Authors: Sébastien Morin, Lobna Gaayeb, Marie Lévy, Manuele Piccoli, Shambavi Warerkar Pai, Aditi Das, Amina Larbi, Esteban Burrone
“From licensing to rolling out at scale: Trends in affordable access to DTG-based HIV treatments in low- and middle-income countries, 2014-2025” THPEE510 – To be presented by Sébastien Morin on Thursday 30 July, 12:00-13:00 Authors: Maneesha Ranaut, Sébastien Morin, Esteban Burrone, Aditi Das
LIVING 2026 pre-conference – Saturday 25 July, 13:30–14:45 (BRT) As part of the LIVING 2026 pre-conference convened by GNP+ in partnership with the Prevention Access Campaign (PAC), Mila Maistat joined the discussions on the role of communities and on access to treatments and innovations. The session brought together representatives from civil society, research organisations, global health partners and industry to discuss how communities can help shape the development, governance and equitable access pathways of new HIV technologies, including long-acting therapeutics. Mila shared perspectives on the role of communities in MPP’s work and in advancing equitable access to innovation.
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 innovative medicines and other health technologies 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 health products and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 23 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, one antiviral treatment for influenza, 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 and Coeffient Giving. MPP’s activities in technology transfer are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the Government of Flanders and SDC.