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Johnson & Johnson (J&J) holds patents on three “important HIV drugs” that could benefit patients in the developing world, if they were more affordable, says Doctors Without Borders (DWB). Pricier, newer drugs to treat HIV/AIDS are beyond the reach of most people in the poorest regions of the world, where patients often must take older, more toxic medicines. In addition, developing-world patients who become resistant to their existing drugs often have few options.
New Brunswick, N.J.-based J&J holds key patents on rilpivirine, a first-line HIV drug, as well as darunavir and etravirine, which are used to treat patients who have become resistant to their first-line medicines. In February, a J&J subsidiary agreed to provide three generic drug firms with rights to manufacture and distribute a low-cost version of rilpivirine. The deal should help patients in sub-Saharan Africa, home to about 68 percent of the world’s HIV population.
Judit Rius, US manager of DWB’s Access to Essential Medicines Campaign, said the agreement is too restrictive, covers only part of Africa, and does not go far enough in reducing costs for the people it targets. “We think there is a better way to do it,” she said.
DWB has created a drug patent pool for HIV drugs, including pediatric formulations and versions that combine several medicines in a single pill. The pool works by licensing patents to multiple drugmakers and creating enough competition to bring prices down. Rius said Roche and Gilead have agreed to join DWB’s pool, but J&J, Merck, and Bristol-Myers Squibb have not.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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