U.S. gives up its patent on AIDS drug

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced that U.S. shared intellectual property rights of some drugs for HIV / AIDS with a patent pool that treatments designed to be accessible to the poorest.
The NIH is the first institution dedicated to research that joins this group of patents of drugs for HIV launched by UNITAID, a health financing system funded through a levy imposed on air tickets founded by Brazil, United Kingdom, Chiles , France and Norway in 2006 and the Patent on AIDS drugs..
UNITAID An official told Reuters in July that several pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Tibotec and Gilead were in advanced talks to join the pool.But others, among which is ViiV Healthcare-joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer to develop drugs for HIV, have said they would prefer to carry out their own agreements with generic manufacturers in developing countries.
The NIH has several patents on medicines and treatments related to HIV / AIDS. The agreement announced refers to a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors, used primarily to treat resistant infections and the Patent on AIDS drugs.
"This license is evidenced by the U.S. government's commitment to the Common Fund for Drug Patents and aims to increase the availability of HIV drugs in emerging countries," said Francis Collins, director of the NIH. "We are now discussing other patents assigned to the Fund that could have a positive impact on the treatment of HIV / AIDS"

Patent on AIDS drugs

Philippe Douste-Blazy, chairman of UNITAID, has welcomed the gesture of the NIH and has urged other patent holders to follow suit. Other institutions, such as Doctors Without Borders, have also expressed their satisfaction with the U.S. decision.

"This demonstrates a serious political support patent pool to help developing countries and the fact that the NIH has announced its decision to review its entire archive of antiretroviral drugs with the intention of introducing other patents in the background is promising, "said Tido von Schoen-Angerer, director of the Campaign for Access to Essential Drugs NGOs and the Patent on AIDS drugs..
"But this gesture is not sufficient to allow production of a cheaper version of the drug. We need to add more. The responsibility lies with the pharmaceutical companies that own patents on these and other key drugs for AIDS," he added and the Patent on AIDS drugs..
About 33.4 million people worldwide living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. The vast majority live in poor regions like Africa and Asia, where the drugs should be very cheap to allow those who need to acquireand the Patent on AIDS drugs..
UNITAID announced a plan to create a patent pool in December. The idea is to allow generic manufacturers to develop low-cost versions of new drugs by creating a system for holders of these rights can yield if technology in exchange for certain rights and the Patent on AIDS drugs.. Initiative is expected to save these countries U.S. $ 1,000 million annually.