Dates: 3–8 December 2025 Location: Accra, Ghana
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is thrilled to participate in ICASA 2025, the largest HIV/AIDS, STIs, TB, Malaria, and health systems strengthening conference in Africa. This 23rd edition, themed “Africa in Action: Catalysing Integrated Sustainable Responses to End AIDS, TB & Malaria”, offers a pivotal platform to advance dialogue, share innovation, and drive collective action.
At ICASA 2025, MPP will join communities, governments, innovators, generic manufacturers, the World Health Organization, Unitaid, and other public health actors to shape the future of HIV response in Africa, foster collaboration, and accelerate efforts to end the HIV pandemic. Together, we aim to discuss innovative strategies, equitable access to treatment, and sustainable solutions that bring us closer to a world without HIV.
Have questions about our work or partnership opportunities? Visit us at booth #50—we’d love to connect!
Thursday 4 December 11:00-12:00 GMT: Meet Sophie Thievenaz, Senior Communications Manager, MPP 13:00-14:00 GMT: Meet Sébastien Morin, Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access, MPP 14 :00-16 :00 GMT : Young People Engage with MPP | session organised by MPP Community Advisory Panel Member Yvette Raphael, Executive Director and Ntando Yola, Community Engagement Practitioner, of Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa (APHA)
Friday 5 December 10:50-11:35 GMT: Meet Sébastien Morin, Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access, MPP 13:00-14:00 GMT: Meet Sophie Thievenaz, Senior Communications Manager, MPP
Saturday 6 December 10:30-11:30: Meet Sophie Thievenaz, Senior Communications Manager, MPP 12:00-13:00: “The Last Mile: Innovation After Funding Cuts”| session organised by Michael Mhando and Victor Adula, AVAC 13:00-13:45: Meet Sébastien Morin, Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access, MPP
Sunday 7 December 10:15-11:45: AfroCAB’s Journey to Access in Africa | session organised by MPP Community Advisory Panel Members: Bahati Haule- Paediatric and Adolescent Officer, AfroCAB, and Jacque Wambui- Regional CAB Coordinator 13:00-13:45: Meet Sébastien Morin, Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access, MPP 14:00-15:00: Meet Sophie Thievenaz, Senior Communications Manager, MPP
Sébastien Morin – Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access > Sébastien brings over a decade of experience in biomedical research, public health, policy, and advocacy, with a focus on HIV and other infectious diseases. At MPP, Sébastien contributes to strategic policy and market access initiatives across multiple disease areas, including HIV, TB, and RSV. He also plays a key role in paediatric drug optimisation efforts, working closely with the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations (GAP-f), a WHO-hosted network.
Mila Maistat – Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access > Mila brings over two decades of experience in public health, with a strong focus on policy and access to medicines. At MPP, she leads work across HIV and viral hepatitis, particularly in WHO Europe, SEARO, and WPRO regions, engaging with governments, public health organisations, civil society, and community-led groups.
Sophie Thievenaz – Senior Communications Manager > Sophie brings extensive experience in strategic communications and advocacy across global health and social impact sectors. At MPP, she leads digital communications, media relations, events, and publications, and works closely on implementing the organisation’s communications strategy.
Wednesday 3 December 2025, 11:45 to 12:30 GMT Room: Prof. Souleymane MBOUP and online
MPP and Unitaid will co-host a session “Breaking New Grounds: Long-Acting HIV Treatment for a New Generation” on Wednesday 3 December 2025, from 11:45 to 12:30 GMT. During this session, we will explore the next steps and the support needed for the rollout of CAB-LA alongside RPV-LA.
Despite major advances in HIV treatment, adherence remains a critical challenge, particularly among adolescents and young people where achieving viral suppression is essential. Long-acting therapies offer a transformative new option by reducing the burden of daily oral treatment and providing choice for people living with HIV. Cabotegravir long-acting (CAB-LA) combined with rilpivirine long-acting (RPV-LA) is currently the only long-acting HIV treatment regimen available, and in July 2025, following WHO recommendation, ViiV Healthcare extended its licence with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to enable generic development of CAB-LA for treatment (in addition to PrEP). MPP-licensed generic manufacturers Aurobindo, Cipla, and Viatris are developing the product with the goal of manufacturing CAB-LA for at least 133 countries, marking a future milestone for equitable access. This session will bring together communities, WHO, Unitaid, ViiV Healthcare, generic manufacturers and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to discuss why long-acting treatment matters, what the 2025 WHO HIV Guidelines mean for countries, and how collective action can accelerate access where it is needed most.
Chair: Sébastien Morin, Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access, The Medicines Patent Pool
Co-Chair: Carmen Pérez Casas, Senior Strategy Lead, Unitaid
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Maurine Murenga, Executive Director, Lean on Me
Anna Hare, Access to Medicines Programmes & Strategies Director, ViiV Healthcare
Tereza Kasaeva, Director, WHO Department on HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, World Health Organization
Dr. Emmanuel Teviu, Program Manager of the National AIDS Control Program in Ghana
Jijo Jose, Senior General Manager – International Business, Aurobindo
Sushil Kumar Mishra, AVP Commercial, Viatris
Sweety Jimmy, Head-Cipla Global Access
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.