Geneva, 14 December 2017 — The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) Governance Board announced today that Greg Perry, Executive Director of the foundation since January 2013, has resigned from his post to pursue new opportunities.

In nearly five years with the MPP, Perry has succeeded in establishing the MPP as the leading patent pooling and voluntary licensing mechanism dedicated to ensuring affordable access to medicines for people living in low- and middle-income countries.

“Greg leaves the MPP in a very strong position for its future work in improving treatment options in developing countries. The Board would like to thank him for his invaluable contribution and leadership during his time as Executive Director,” said Marie-Paule Kieny, Chair of the foundation’s Governance Board. “We wish him every success in his next projects.”

During Greg Perry’s tenure, the MPP has gained the confidence of originator and generic pharmaceutical companies, civil society groups, governments and international organisations. To date, the MPP has signed voluntary licensing agreements with nine patent holders as well as sublicensing agreements with 20 generic manufacturers and product developers. MPP’s licensing agreements enable access to affordable medicines in 131 developing countries, and its sublicensees have distributed more than five billion doses of WHO-recommended HIV antiretrovirals, equivalent to 14 million patient years of treatment.

Building on its success in HIV medicines, the MPP has extended its mandate into other disease areas, beginning with tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis C (HCV). The MPP has signed three licensing agreements for TB and HCV treatments and has initiated an internal feasibility study to assess opportunities for the expansion of MPP’s model into other essential medicines.

Apart from its licensing work, the MPP has played an active role in partnering with other public health bodies including governmental institutions, international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and universities in order to promote its access objectives. The creation of MedsPaL, a database of patents and licensing information for HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and other essential medicines in developing countries is a notable achievement.

MPP’s work is supported by a highly professional international team, each of whom has played an integral role in the overall success of the MPP. The MPP will now initiate a recruitment process for a new Executive Director. In the interim on behalf of the MPP Governance Board, Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny will assume responsibility for the Medicines Patent Pool with the support of MPP’s senior management team.

Access the press release in Spanish

About the Medicines Patent Pool

The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis treatments in low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with industry, civil society, international organisations, patient groups and other stakeholders to prioritise, forecast and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, two hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded and is funded by Unitaid. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) provides funding for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines.

Contact:

Katherine Moore

Head of Communications
Medicines Patent Pool
Tel: +41 22 533 5054 | Mobile: +41 79 825 4786
kmoore@medicinespatentpool.org