ViiV to License Its HIV Prevention Drug to MPP
ViiV Healthcare has agreed to license patents covering Apretude (cabotegravir), its long-acting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug, to the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to increase access to medicines in low- and middle-income countries.
The United Nations-backed MPP said it will now negotiate with ViiV to secure a license to enable the development of generic versions of Apretude. MPP believes Apretude could potentially be “a very important drug” in the battle against HIV because of its long-acting nature.
The company said that until a generic version of the drug is available, ViiV will supply Apretude to public programs in “low-income, least-developed and all sub-Saharan African countries” at what it calls a “nonprofit price.” Apretude, which was FDA-approved in December 2021, costs $3,700 per dose.