Roche to help fight HIV epidemic

The company has pledged to provide local manufacturers in the world’s least developed countries with the technical expertise required to produce generic HIV medicines, namely a drug called saquinavir already recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be used as a second line of defense against HIV.

Manufacturers in these countries will not be required to apply for a voluntary license to produce the HIV protease inhibitor medicine saquinavir, as Roche has decided not to enforce the patents it holds on HIV medicines within these regions.

“We want to use the knowledge we have developed to help strengthen local manufacturing capability and hope to help as many manufacturers as possible in these hardest hit countries by sharing our knowledge, so that they can learn and benefit from our technology,” said William Burns, CEO division Roche Pharmaceuticals.

Although Roche’s sentiment appears good, Switzerland’s non-governmental organization, the Bern Declaration, has criticized the statement, calling it a public relations exercise. As some of Roche’s patens are starting to expire in the countries targeted by the new initiative, the Bern Declaration believes it would be better for Roche to renounce its patents altogether in the applicable countries.

Further more, as saquinavir is usually prescribed in conjunction with another anti-viral, Abbott’s Ritonavir, the merits of manufacturing saquinavir alone seem diminished according to Bern.