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IPM-Janssen agreement: access to HIV Prevention Medicine in developing countries
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Innovative uses of a promising anti-HIV medication called dapivirine are giving hope that women can be better protected against HIV. The exclusive worldwide rights for dapivirine have been granted to the non-profit organisation The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), which is committed to developing HIV prevention tools and other products aimed at women’s sexual and reproductive health and making sure they are accessible to all, particularly to women in developing countries. The rights were granted to IPM by Janssen R&D Ireland under an expanded public-private collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. This agreement should push forward the development and global availability of dapivirine-based HIV prevention tools for women.

Despite the advances in recent years in reducing the number of new cases of HIV/AIDS, women have been largely left behind in terms of benefiting from these advances. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, women in the 15 to 24 year age group are 3-4 times more likely to have HIV infection as their male peers. This drives the imperative to develop tools aimed specifically at women to help give them options to protect themselves. Dr. Zeda F. Rosenberg, chief executive officer of IPM, elaborates: "Women are in a race against time for new HIV prevention methods, and they need innovative tools to protect themselves and help reverse the course of the epidemic….We applaud Janssen's leadership in advancing women's access to new health technologies."

Dapivirine is a member of a class of anti-retroviral agents called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). These agents interfere with the ability of HIV to make copies of itself. IPM's most advanced technology dapivirine -based technology is a vaginal ring designed to give a monthly sustained-release of the drug to prevent HIV. This ring is currently in two parallel Phase III trials in Africa; results are expected in late 2015. Other products in the IPM development portfolio include a combination dapivirine -maraviroc ring. There is also a 90-day ring that combines dapivirine with the contraceptive levonogestrel. This would have the double benefit of protection against both HIV and unwanted pregnancy.

The newly expanded agreement marks another step in a long-established collaboration between Janssen and IPM. Janssen had originally licensed dapivirine to IPM under a royalty-free agreement in 2004 with the intention of having it developed as a microbicide for women in developing countries. The new agreement will ensure women's future access in all countries thanks to affordable pricing strategies. Dr Rosenberg explains the significance of the collaboration: "Our worldwide rights agreement with Janssen is a powerful example of how public-private partnerships can accelerate access to urgently needed, affordable health products…By pooling the expertise of partners across sectors, we can more effectively help women at risk for HIV and, ultimately, end the spread of HIV/AIDS altogether."

IPM has also been working with other pharmaceutical companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Merck & Co. and ViiV Healthcare, as well as Janssen since 2004 with royalty-free licenses granted to IPM to develop, manufacture and distribute eight anti-retroviral products in developing countries. This is designed to guarantee affordable access of patients to these drugs where they are most needed. IPM is funded via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Irish Aid, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the M.A.C. AIDS Fund and the OPEC Fund for International Development.

Sources:

Press release: International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM); available at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2...050714.php [Accessed 8 May 2014].

IPM website: http://www.IPMglobal.org. [Accessed 8 May 2014].
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