HIV :: Canadian drug company Apotex to manufacture HIV AIDS drug for patients in Rwanda, says GSK

GlaxoSmithKline GSK announced that it has given consent to Toronto-based drug company Apotex to use two of its patented antiretroviral drugs, lamivudine and zidovudine, to manufacture Apo-triAvir — a fixed-dose combination of the two drugs and the antiretroviral nevirapine — for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda.

Canada?s Access to Medicines Regime reflects the WTO ?31f? agreement of August 2003 and enables the government to authorise the production of certain patented medicines for export.

The legislation includes controls which are designed to ensure that these essential medicines reach the patients for whom they are intended and the authorisation to be granted will be subject to these controls.

GSK has agreed to waive royalties on the basis that Apotex?s triple combination generic ARV will be supplied on a no profit basis.

Paul Lucas, President and CEO, GSK Canadasaid, ?Tackling the AIDS crisis is one of the greatest challenges the world faces. GSK continues to play its part to tackle this crisis through research and development, not-for-profit pricing and ongoing investment in dedicated community programmes. Our decision to allow Apotex to manufacture an FDC containing two GSK molecules is part of this broad commitment. It also shows that Canada?s Access to Medicines Regime operates effectively to enable supply of medicines from Canadaas envisaged under the 31f Agreement.?


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