2NEW HIV DRUGS IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

Unitaid is working with partners to lower the cost of optimal HIV treatment to US$ 75 per person per year, a mere fraction of the cost in high-income countries.

More than 21 million people are on HIV treatment, but in low- and middle-income countries an almost equal number still need to be enrolled. Emerging antiretrovirals offer great potential for simpler and better HIV treatment. More robust, less toxic treatments could be produced at lower cost and in smaller tablets.

But before the new ARV medicines can be introduced, studies must be conducted into their safety and how well they work in specific groups, such as pregnant women and people co-infected with TB. The drugs must also be made in affordable generic formulations.

Unitaid has committed more than US$ 67 million to overcome these barriers and bring the new ARVs to those in need. The grant money will fund research on medicines and support the work necessary to getting new drugs approved and available in the marketplace in various countries.

Unitaid’s investment in antiretroviral therapy (ART) optimisation includes a US$ 34 million grant to the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for the Optimal ARV project. This three-year collaboration is expected to speed introduction of new optimal HIV medicines and make them more available and affordable. The project is expected to save US$ 1.6 billion in treatment costs through 2024.

To accelerate access to better ARVs, the government of Kenya and Unitaid announced in June 2017 the introduction of dolutegravir, a new first-line drug for people living with HIV, making Kenya the first African country to introduce the generic version of this drug for routine use. Dolutegravir has few side effects and is administered in one small pill a day.

Unitaid is also investing more than US$ 33 million in four clinical research grants directed at ART optimisation. These include projects with France’s Institut Bouisson Bertrand and the National Agency for Research on AIDS and Hepatitis, University of Liverpool, University of New South Wales, and Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute.

Unitaid also provides funding to the WHO’s Prequalification of Medicines programme, which assesses the quality and safety of medicines and diagnostics.

“It is important to ensure that developing countries have access to the most recent HIV treatment formulations. Research is not only essential to strengthen HIV care for patients, but is also necessary to update global and national HIV guidelines.” Prof. Jean-François Delfraissy Former Director of the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Hepatitis (ANRS)