FIND and Unitaid invest to support technology transfer and boost local production of COVID-19 rapid tests in low- and middle-income countries

  • Technology transfer agreements signed to enable expanded production of high-quality antigen rapid tests in Africa and Latin America
  • Agreements signed with DCN Dx to transfer know-how to WAMA Diagnóstica (Brazil), and Bionote and Mologic to transfer know-how to DIATROPIX of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal)
  • Separate partnership between Viatris (South Africa) and Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech (China) supported to enable commercialization and distribution of high-quality Ag RDTs in low- and middle-income countries
  • Agreements follow open call launched last year by FIND and Unitaid on behalf of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, to drive equitable access to rapid tests for COVID-19

Geneva, 15 July 2021 – Local manufacturing of COVID-19 rapid tests in Africa and Latin America will be dramatically expanded, thanks to investment from FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, and Unitaid.

Following a call for Expressions of Interest launched under the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT)-Accelerator Diagnostics Pillar, contracts have now been finalized to drive equitable access to fit-for-purpose antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDTs) for COVID-19.

The pandemic has exposed how fragile health systems and an exclusive reliance on global supply chains leave many countries without access to the tests they need to control COVID-19. Today, high-income countries are testing people for COVID-19 over 60 times more than low-income countries.[1] Expanded production capacity in local and regional hubs is critical to ensuring that healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can implement effective testing strategies to contain the spread of the virus.

Agreements have been signed to support collaborations between Xixia Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Viatris) and Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech (Wondfo), DCN Dx, and WAMA Diagnóstica, and DIATROPIX of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Bionote, and Mologic.

FIND and Unitaid are supporting the creation of a Centre of Excellence at DCN Dx to facilitate RDT technology transfer to LMIC manufacturers. WAMA Diagnóstica, based in Brazil, is the first of these, and will supply the Latin America and Caribbean region. Test volumes are expected to reach 2 million tests per month, with a ceiling price of US$2.00 (ex-works).

To serve the African continent, DIATROPIX of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal is being supported to scale up manufacturing of Ag RDTs transferred from Mologic and Bionote. Through this support, diaTROPIX will seek regulatory authorization for the transferred tests and commercialize them under its own brand, with the aim of reaching 2.5 million tests per month by 2022, at prices ranging from US$2.50 to US$2.00 (ex-works) with a view to further reductions in the near future.

In a further boost to testing capacity in LMICs, FIND and Unitaid announce that Wondfo, based in Guangzhou, China, is teaming up with Viatris (operating through its subsidiary Xixia Pharmaceuticals based in Gauteng, South Africa) to bring its low-cost Ag RDTs to market in LMICs. This partnership between a high-volume manufacturer and a distributor with global reach has the potential to produce 144 million tests per year, at a ceiling price of US$2.50 (ex-works).

Recently released WHO guidance on national SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies emphasises the important role of high-quality Ag RDTs. They remain the primary diagnostic test for detection of active SARS-CoV-2 infection in decentralized settings where timely molecular testing is not available.

Marta Fernández Suárez, Senior Director of R&D at FIND, said: “Scaling up testing capacity in LMICs is one of our highest priorities. The expression of interest (EOI) process has enabled us to identify partnerships that we believe can have a great impact in key regions that are of critical importance to the pandemic and potentially beyond, to help ensure that everyone who needs a test can get one.”

Vincent Bretin, Director of Results at Unitaid, said: “Increasing the capacity of local and regional hubs to produce COVID-19 tests will be vital if we are to ensure truly equitable access to this crucial tool. Currently the vast majority of rapid tests being used in low- and middle-income countries are manufactured in just two countries in one region, so these agreements are an important step in ensuring that countries are equipped to detect cases of COVID-19, helping contain outbreaks and bringing a swifter end to the pandemic.”

Announcement of these agreements follows a technical workshop on local production of diagnostics in LMICs, hosted by the World Health Organization, UNDP and FIND, to contribute to the ongoing development of comprehensive and practical measures to catalyse and sustain production of diagnostics in these countries. More details and a recording of the meeting is available here.

[1] Median values of 7-day rolling averages in each income group, as reported by countries. Data correct as at 30 June 2021, www.finddx.org/covid-19/test-tracker

About the expression of interest (EOI)

The EOI was launched on 4 July 2020 by FIND and Unitaid, on behalf of the R&D and Digital and the Market Readiness Working Groups of the ACT-Accelerator Diagnostics Pillar. It aims to accelerate supply and availability of quality-assured and regulatory-approved fit-for-purpose SARS-CoV-2 Ag RDTs that meet WHO criteria of quality, cost and accessibility. Interventions include accelerating late-stage product development and optimization, facilitating technology transfer activities, conducting performance evaluation studies to support regulatory submissions, increasing production capacity, addressing supply chain challenges, and strengthening local capacity for development and deployment of new tests within national testing strategies. Driving down prices and supporting the use of less invasive specimens to enable faster LMIC uptake are also critical. Over 100 applications were received, with 34 selected for review by a panel of external experts. A first collaboration with Premier Medical Corporation in India was announced earlier this year.

 

About FIND

FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, seeks to ensure equitable access to reliable diagnosis around the world. We connect countries and communities, funders, decision-makers, healthcare providers and developers to spur diagnostic innovation and make testing an integral part of sustainable, resilient health systems. We are working to save 1 million lives through accessible, quality diagnosis, and save US$1 billion in healthcare costs to patients and health systems. We are co-convener of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator diagnostics pillar, and a WHO Collaborating Centre for Laboratory Strengthening and Diagnostic Technology Evaluation. For more information, please visit www.finddx.org.

 

About Unitaid
Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

 

About the ACT-Accelerator

The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator is a global coalition of organizations developing and deploying the new diagnostics, treatments and vaccines needed to end the acute phase of the pandemic. Pooling the expertise of its many partners, the ACT-Accelerator has quickly ushered in rapid, affordable tests and effective medicines, and established the COVAX facility for the equitable procurement and distribution of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.

The ACT Accelerator’s work is more vital than ever as new variants of the virus threaten to resist current COVID-19 tools, posing the risk of more death, illness, and social and economic harm. The ACT-Accelerator has four areas of work, or pillars:

A workstream on access and allocation of COVID-19 products, hosted by WHO, cuts across the four pillars.

The ACT Accelerator partnership was formed at the onset of the pandemic in response to a call from G20 leaders, and was launched by WHO, the European Commission, France, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Critical funding for the effort comes from an unprecedented mobilization of donors, including countries, the private sector, philanthropists and multilateral partners. It has supported the fastest, most coordinated, and successful global effort in history to develop tools to fight a disease.

Media contacts

FIND

Sarah-Jane Loveday

Director of Communications

media@finddx.org | +41 79 431 62 44

 

Unitaid

Hervé Verhoosel

Director a.i. External Relations and Communication

verhooselh@unitaid.who.int | tel. +44 77 29 618 634

 

Unitaid

Maggie Zander

Communications Officer

zanderm@unitaid.who.int | tel. +41 79 593 17 74

Unitaid statement on WHO recommendations for tocilizumab and sarilumab

Geneva, 7 July 2021 – Unitaid welcomes new recommendations released by the World Health Organisation for the clinical care package for patients with severe or critical COVID-19, adding two medicines (tocilizumab and sarilumab). Having more treatment options is clearly of huge benefit, especially given the current concerning epidemiological situation around the world.  

Equitable access arrangements for medicines to treat patients with advanced COVID-19, and those for earlier stages of the disease, are key to fighting the pandemic. Access to COVID-19 (ACT) Accelerator partners are ready to support effective new therapeutic products for COVID-19, and we would welcome further details from Roche and Sanofi, respectively, on their plans for broad, sustainable access to these medicines to treat COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries.  

In addition, these newly recommended medicines need to be used together with oxygen and corticosteroids, underlining the urgent need to increase access to medical oxygen and ensure adequate supplies of corticosteroids. The ACT-A Therapeutics pillar is already working to address this, with an advance purchase in 2020 of nearly 3 million doses of dexamethasone, and more recently the coordination of the COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce. 

 

 

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 (ACT) Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

Unprecedented cooperation with global oxygen suppliers paves way to increase access for low- and middle-income countries to address COVID-19 crisis

  • Agreement brokered by Unitaid and CHAI under the COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce sees two of the world’s largest medical oxygen suppliers each collaborate with these ACT-Accelerator partners on increased access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
  • Two memoranda of understanding, one with Air Liquide and another with Linde, pave the way for increased oxygen supply in the context of COVID-19
  • Latest estimates show that around 1 million COVID-19 patients in LMICs need 2.2 million cylinders of oxygen per day

Geneva, 15 June 2021 – Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) are pleased to announce agreements[1] with Air Liquide and Linde respectively, which provide a pathway to increase access to medical oxygen in low- and middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical oxygen shortages around the world have been a tragic feature of the pandemic, impacting the poorest countries disproportionately. These access difficulties were entrenched in many parts of the world before COVID-19, and have been exacerbated by the pandemic, putting strain on fragile health systems and resulting in preventable deaths. Latest estimates[2] suggest that around 1 million critically-ill COVID-19 patients in low- and middle-income countries need 2.2 million oxygen cylinders (15.1 million cubic metres) a day at the moment, with concerning surges reported in several countries in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia.

The agreements come following intense engagement with the world’s major oxygen suppliers by the COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce. This group of partners[3], led by Unitaid and Wellcome under the ACT-Accelerator Therapeutics pillar, has been working together over the past four months to address the global oxygen crisis, building on the strong track record of the agencies involved. This unprecedented collaboration with industry aims to overcome fundamental issues such as unstable funding commitments and insufficient infrastructure, which have limited the availability of medical oxygen.

Under the two memoranda of understanding signed with Air Liquide and Linde, each company has committed to work with ACT-A global health partners to facilitate equitable access to oxygen in a number of priority countries, to meet the emergency needs of the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaboration with each supplier also aims to build a framework for local contractual agreements – in line with standard public procurement practices – which could form the basis of longer-term purchasing deals by governments and global agencies that fund access to medical oxygen, to avoid a shortage of supply as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carl Bildt, WHO Special Envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and former Prime Minister of Sweden said: “Without a much improved supply of oxygen we will see the global numbers of people dying from COVID rising even faster. That’s why an improved public-private partnership is so necessary, and the role of industry is absolutely essential. I know from experience that it is a powerful combination when governments, multilaterals, and the private sector work together to solve massive issues. These pioneering oxygen agreements are urgently needed to save lives.”

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, said: “We welcome the engagement from Air Liquide and Linde. This is the first time such an agreement has been made to help facilitate equitable access to oxygen, an essential, lifesaving medicine. We hope that other oxygen suppliers will now follow suit and come to the table. There is a real opportunity to change the course of history – both for the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other areas where medical oxygen is so vital but has been often lacking, including pneumonia control, treating women who develop complications in childbirth and trauma patients.”

Under this initiative, Unitaid and CHAI, together with the Oxygen Emergency Taskforce partners, will seek to mobilise resources to fund medical oxygen storage and infrastructure, pay for emergency supplies, and finance the transportation of equipment and other tools needed for safe, resilient medical oxygen systems. Market interventions including advance purchase commitments and guarantees could form part of this package of measures. An estimated $400 million is needed immediately to enable this vital work to take place.

The Taskforce is also working to address supply shortages for other vital commodities, including oxygen concentrators and pressure swing absorption (PSA) plants, and connect countries to sources of financing for oxygen requests, including the Global Fund’s C-19 RM mechanism and the World Bank’s COVID-19 emergency health response.

Zachary Katz, Vice President of Essential Medicines at CHAI, said: “These agreements pave the way for wider use of medical oxygen at a time when the world continues to suffer acute shortages. We applaud Air Liquide and Linde and look forward to working together to expand access to oxygen to those most in need.”

Jean-Marc de Royere, Senior Vice President and member of the Air Liquide Group Executive Committee in charge of social programs, said: “Striving to improve oxygen access in LMICs is an integral part of our sustainable development commitments announced in March 2021. Today’s announcement is also in line with Air Liquide teams’ mobilisation since the beginning of the pandemic in the countries where the Group operates. Leveraging on its technical expertise and know-how, the Group will work along with Unitaid and CHAI, contributing to solutions to increase oxygen access in LMICs countries where demand is high and operational conditions are challenging.”

Sanjiv Lamba, Chief Operating Officer at Linde, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of access to healthcare for all. Linde’s employees stepped up in these extraordinary times to produce and deliver medical oxygen, playing a critical role in supporting healthcare systems across the world. All these efforts will be in vain if we cannot work together to improve access to medical oxygen in low and moderate income countries, overcoming the many challenges. Linde is proud to partner with Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative and we look forward to working together to increase access to oxygen on a fair and equitable basis.”

[1] These agreements, in the form of non-binding Memoranda of Understanding, have been entered into on a non-exclusive basis. Agreements with other medical oxygen suppliers are being pursued.

[2] https://www.path.org/programs/market-dynamics/covid-19-oxygen-needs-tracker/

[3] Partner organisations include Unitaid, Wellcome, WHO (and the biomedical consortium it coordinates), Unicef, The Global Fund, the World Bank, UNOPS, the Every Breath Counts coalition, CHAI, PATH, Save the Children, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Access to Medicine Foundation.

Background notes
Even before COVID-19, pneumonia was the world’s biggest infectious killer of adults and children, claiming the lives of 2.5 million people in 2019. The pandemic has exacerbated this problem, particularly in ‘double-burden’ countries which are contending with high levels of pneumonia and COVID-19. As well as meeting the immediate needs of the pandemic, the COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce would look to leverage gains in this area to help with long-term pneumonia control.

About the COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce
The COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce was launched in February 2021 to bring together key partners already working to address critical oxygen gaps, as part of a coordinated COVID-19 response. The taskforce is co-led by Unitaid and Wellcome, under the Therapeutics Pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Partner organisations include Unitaid, Wellcome, the World Health Organization (and the biomedical consortium it coordinates), UNICEF, The Global Fund, the World Bank, UNOPS, the Every Breath Counts coalition, CHAI, PATH, Save the Children, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Access to Medicine Foundation.

About Unitaid
Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

About CHAI
The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organisation committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. CHAI works with its partners to help strengthen the capabilities of governments and local private sectors to create and sustain high-quality health systems. For more information, please visit: clintonhealthaccess.org.

Media contacts
Hervé Verhoosel, Unitaid, Geneva | verhooselh@unitaid.who.int | tel. +44 77 29 618 634

Maggie Zander, Unitaid, Geneva | zanderm@unitaid.who.int | tel. +41 79 593 17 74

Regan Lachapelle, CHAI, Boston | rlachapelle@clintonhealthaccess.org | tel. +1 857-208-2788

Unitaid statement on US support for IP waiver for COVID-19 vaccines

Geneva, 6th May 2021 –

Unitaid welcomes the decision of the United States government to support a waiver of intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines.

This is an important step forwards for equitable access in the context of the current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations around Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and we applaud the leadership of President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and Ambassador Katherine Tai.

Alongside vaccines, there is a need to have broad access to all the tools to fight COVID-19 – including treatments – for low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which are currently carrying the heaviest burden of the pandemic.

An important component, alongside the waiver of intellectual property rights, will be the transfer of technology, so that manufacturers can receive the know-how to scale up production quickly. This equally applies to therapeutic products such as monoclonal antibodies, which could be an important tool in the COVID-19 response.

The current crisis of rising case numbers, new variants and constrained oxygen supply illustrates the urgent need for rapid action both in-country and at a global level. We encourage the international community to mobilise to make the tools to fight COVID-19 available to everyone, everywhere.

Marisol Touraine, Chair of the Unitaid Executive Board

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director, Unitaid

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization. www.unitaid.org

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Hervé Verhoosel | verhooselh@unitaid.who.int | +44 77 29 618 634

Unitaid and Wellcome statement regarding MSD’s global access plan for molnupiravir, a potential treatment for COVID-19 

Geneva – ACT-Accelerator Therapeutics co-leads Wellcome and Unitaid welcome MSD’s commitment to voluntary licensing agreements with five generic manufacturers to serve the needs of India and 100 other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is an important first step to accelerate and expand global access for molnupiravir, should upcoming clinical data prove it safe and effective.

Industry plays a central role in ensuring a rapid and effective COVID-19 response. Their commitment to the development of promising therapeutics for COVID-19 is critical in the race to end the pandemic and in meeting the continued need for treatments for COVID-19.

We also welcome MSD’s engagement with the Unitaid-supported Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to further broaden access to molnupiravir. In anticipation of a potential approval in the months to come, robust plans for affordable access in all low- and middle-income countries are required, including middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, given the trajectory of the pandemic.

Media contacts:

Charlotte Baker | bakerc@unitaid.who.int | +447904 460 181
Hervé Verhoosel | verhooselh@unitaid.who.int | +44 77 29 618 634

ANTICOV: largest clinical trial in Africa for people with mild COVID-19 to test new drug combination

Need for effective COVID-19 treatments remains particularly acute, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where access to vaccines is still extremely limited

Geneva – The ANTICOV clinical trial, conducted in 13 African countries, has started the recruitment of participants to test a new drug combination, nitazoxanide + ciclesonide, to treat people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 before their cases become severe.

The ANTICOV study is being carried out by a consortium of 26 partners which include leading African research institutions and international health organizations, coordinated by the non-profit research and development (R&D) organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). It is the largest trial in Africa to identify early COVID-19 treatments that can prevent progression to severe disease and potentially limit transmission.

“In many African countries our worst fears are being realised, as already-strained intensive care units are beginning to fill up with COVID-19 patients,” said Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). “Yet the number of vaccine doses that are reaching the African continent is too limited. The rapid spread of new variants also threatens to reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines, which is another major cause for concern. We need urgently to identify affordable and easy-to-administer treatments that can prevent the evolution to a severe form of the disease and slow the rate of infection.”

The Africa CDC has recorded more than 117,000 deaths from COVID-19 on the continent; however, the true toll is estimated to be higher. And with new variants spreading, an increase in new cases is expected in the coming months.

ANTICOV is testing a new potential treatment that combines the well-known antiparasitic nitazoxanide and the inhaled corticosteroid ciclesonide. The combination has two different mechanisms of action that could work at different stages of infection: one that is potentially active during the first, viral replication stage of SARS-COV-2 infection and one that decreases the likelihood of an inflammatory stage that can start a few days later. Both drugs are already commercially available and will be affordable and easy to access and administer, if shown to be effective against COVID-19.

“It has been more than a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and while we have vaccines registered for use, there are still very few treatment options – especially for the early stage when we could prevent severe progression, potentially reduce transmission, and maybe prevent the risk of developing post-COVID condition,” said Dr Nathalie Strub-Wourgaft, Director of the COVID-19 Response for DNDi. “We still do not have a treatment for mild-to-moderate cases and this remains a research priority, in Africa – and throughout the world.”

The inclusion of the nitazoxanide + ciclesonide combination in a new arm of the ANTICOV study has been reviewed through the WHO-created African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) – which facilitated the regulatory process in each ANTICOV country – and by the WHO COVID-19 Research Ethics Review Committee.

“In addition to treatment options for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, we also need a simple, easy-to-use, affordable, and reliable test that can be the backbone of test-and-treat programmes led by African governments,” said Dr Monique Wasunna, Director of the DNDi Africa regional office. “We fully support the work of our ANTICOV Consortium partner The Foundation For Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), which is a co-convener of the ACT Accelerator Diagnostics Partnership, to accelerate diagnostic tools for COVID-19.”

The first participants in the new study arm have been recruited in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Guinea. In the coming weeks, additional trial sites will enrol participants in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sudan, and Uganda.

“As we face a mutating virus that challenges the tools we have to fight COVID-19, research into promising treatments has never been more important. It is vital to work out which therapeutics we can add to the existing package of patient care – and how they can be best-adapted for use in low-resource settings,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, which is partly funding the study. “Through the ANTICOV trial, Unitaid is investing in potential drugs to treat mild and moderate COVID-19 – a key gap in current treatment options that we must bridge to prevent hospitalisations and deaths.”

ANTICOV is an ‘adaptive platform’ trial, a flexible and innovative trial design that allows for treatments to be added or removed as new evidence emerges. The trial started in September 2020 with the HIV antiretroviral combination lopinavir/ritonavir and the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. These two initial arms were suspended in December 2020 after WHO updated its treatment guidelines to recommend against the use of these drugs to treat COVID-19 patients, including patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

The ANTICOV Consortium is now in the process of selecting and preparing the next arm of the trial. The selection of trial drugs for ANTICOV is informed by reviews conducted by the expert working group of the Unitaid and Wellcome-led Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Therapeutics Partnership.

Major funding for the ANTICOV consortium is provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through KfW and by the global health agency Unitaid as part of ACT-A. Additional support comes from the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) – under its second programme supported by the European Union with additional funding from the Swedish government -, the Starr International Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

Media contacts:

Charlotte Baker | bakerc@unitaid.who.int | +447904 460 181

Maggie Zander | zanderm@unitaid.who.int | +41 79 593 17 74

Unitaid statement regarding Ivermectin as a potential COVID-19 treatment

Geneva – Ivermectin, as well as other repurposed and new products, has been under evaluation in clinical trials as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

After updating the independent living network meta-analysis, the WHO Guidelines Development Group has updated the WHO Living Guidelines: Therapeutics and COVID-19 (today March 31).  In this updated version, WHO recommends not to use ivermectin in patients with COVID-19 except in the context of clinical trials based on very low certainty of evidence.

Unitaid, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, has tracked the evidence available for ivermectin from randomised clinical studies from around the world, with various studies still to be completed.

In addition, to support the acquisition of the necessary remaining evidence as soon as possible, the ANTICOV consortium – coordinated by DNDi and partly funded by Unitaid – is preparing to add ivermectin in a combination therapy, as a new treatment arm to the clinical trial. This large platform trial aims to identify treatments that can be used to treat mild and moderate cases of COVID-19, preventing them from progressing to severe COVID-19, and is being conducted in 13 countries in Africa, nine of which are funded by Unitaid.”

Media contact:  

Hervé Verhoosel | +44 77 29 618 634 | verhooselh@unitaid.who.int

COVID-19 oxygen emergency impacting more than half a million people in low- and middle-income countries every day, as demand surges

  • More than half a million COVID-19 patients in LMICs estimated to need oxygen treatment every day.
  • New assessments show US$90 million immediate funding required to meet urgent need in up to 20 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Unitaid and Wellcome will make an immediate contribution of up to US$20 million in total for the emergency response.
  • COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce brings together key organisations working on oxygen access under ACT-Accelerator Therapeutics pillar, as COVID-19 surges and preventable deaths occur
  • Taskforce partners will work together to measure oxygen demand, work with financing partners, and secure oxygen supplies and technical support for worst-affected countries 

Geneva – Since the start of the pandemic, affordable and sustainable access to oxygen has been a growing challenge in low- and middle-income countries.

COVID-19 has put huge pressure on health systems, with hospitals in many LMICs running out of oxygen, resulting in preventable deaths and families of hospitalised patients paying a premium for scarce oxygen supplies.

Oxygen is an essential medicine, and despite being vital for the effective treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, access in LMICs is limited due to cost, infrastructure and logistical barriers. Health facilities often cannot access the oxygen they require, resulting in the unnecessary loss of lives.

Recognising the central importance of sustainable oxygen supply – alongside therapeutic products such as dexamethasone – for the treatment of COVID-19, the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator Therapeutics pillar (co-led by Unitaid and Wellcome), is taking a new role to coordinate and advocate for increased supply of oxygen, and, in partnership with a WHO-led consortium[1], is today announcing the launch of a COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce.

It is estimated that more than half a million people in LMICs currently need 1.1 million cylinders of oxygen per day[2], with 25 countries currently reporting surges in demand, the majority in Africa. This supply was constrained prior to COVID-19 and has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, said: “This is a global emergency that needs a truly global response, both from international organisations and donors. Many of the countries seeing this demand struggled before the pandemic to meet their daily oxygen needs. Now it’s more vital than ever that we come together to build on the work that has already been done, with a firm commitment to helping the worst-affected countries as quickly as possible.”

The taskforce has determined an immediate funding need of US$90 million to address key challenges in oxygen access and delivery in up to 20 countries, including Malawi, Nigeria and Afghanistan. This first set of countries has been identified based on assessments coordinated by WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, in order to match in-country need with potential financing, such as through the World Bank[3] and the Global Fund. Unitaid and Wellcome will make an immediate contribution of up to US$20 million in total for the emergency response. The urgent, short-term requirements of additional countries will be measured and costed in the coming weeks, with the overall funding need over the next 12 months estimated by ACT-A to be US$1.6 billion – a figure that will be regularly reviewed by the taskforce.

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said: “Oxygen is life-saving and it is imperative to move faster to scale-up holistically with patient-centred, end-to-end solutions that improve clinical outcomes. WHO has been working through the Biomedical Consortium to bring the technical, clinical and procurement partners together with about US$80 million of biomedical equipment procured for low and middle-income countries. The Oxygen Taskforce will help drive oxygen scale-up through further innovation, financing and capacitation.”

Paul Schreier, Chief Operating Officer at Wellcome, said: “We have made critical advances in providing lifesaving clinical care and treatments to COVID-19 patients over the last year. The impact of the combination of oxygen and dexamethasone to treat severely ill patients has, in particular, been incredible. But global access to advances remains unequal. We need to urgently increase access to medical oxygen to ensure patients are benefiting regardless of where they live and ability to pay. International solidarity is the quickest – and only – way out of this pandemic. It is a public health, scientific, economic and moral imperative that all tools are made available globally.”

The taskforce brings together key organisations[4] that have been working to improve access to oxygen since the start of the pandemic including Unitaid, Wellcome, WHO, Unicef, the Global Fund, World Bank, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), PATH, the Every Breath Counts coalition and Save the Children. Building on these efforts, partners will focus on four key objectives as a part of an emergency response plan: measuring acute and longer-term oxygen needs in LMICs; connecting countries to financing partners for their assessed oxygen requirements; and supporting the procurement and supply of oxygen, along with related products and services. Other areas in the scope of the taskforce include addressing the need for innovative market-shaping interventions, as well as reinforcing advocacy efforts to highlight the importance of oxygen access in the COVID-19 response.

Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, said: “Oxygen is a simple medical intervention that remains in short supply for far too many around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken this acute shortage and made it a full-blown emergency. But addressing the oxygen gap will not only help with COVID-19 treatment in countries that are losing far too many saveable lives. It will also help to improve health systems and health outcomes beyond COVID-19 in the long term, including for the many newborns and children who require oxygen to survive.”

[1] As part of the UN COVID-19 Supply Chain System, a technical biomedical procurement consortium was set up under the coordination of WHO, including ALIMA, BMGF, IMC, MSF, UNDP, UNHCR, Unicef, UNOPS, USAID and WFP. Approximately US$150m of oxygen related biomedical products and consumables have been delivered to 149 countries over the last year.

[2]  https://www.path.org/programs/market-dynamics/covid-19-oxygen-needs-tracker

[3] Governments can apply for financing through the World Bank’s COVID-19 emergency health response.

[4] Partners joining the taskforce include Unitaid, Wellcome, WHO (and the broader biomedical consortium WHO coordinates), Unicef, The Global Fund, the World Bank, UNOPS, Save the Children, Every Breath Counts (coalition), CHAI and PATH.

Editor’s notes and background 

Even before COVID-19, pneumonia was the world’s biggest infectious killer of adults and children, claiming the lives of 2.5 million people in 2019. The pandemic has exacerbated this problem, particularly in ‘double-burden’ countries which are contending with high levels of pneumonia and COVID-19. As well as meeting the immediate needs of the pandemic, the taskforce would look to leverage gains in this area to help with long-term pneumonia control.

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