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“We welcome the commitment from these companies to produce
their own quality generic versions of saquinavir. The technical
assistance from Roche should help strengthen and extend their
manufacturing abilities for quality medicines. It is both encouraging
and heartening that local African manufacturers are taking steps
to increase their capacity to produce and provide HIV medicines
locally. People with HIV/AIDS living in sub-Saharan Africa have
limited treatment options, and whilst there has been increased
access to first-line therapy, it is vital that they are able to
access and have a secure supply of second-line treatments, such
as saquinavir, that are included within our WHO treatment guidelines,”
commented Lembit Rägo, Coordinator of Quality Assurance and
Safety of Medicines at WHO.
As access
to first line treatment in Africa continues to increase, the need
for second line treatments will grow in parallel. As a result,
increasing manufacturing knowledge and capacity for saquinavir
within these regions could play a vital role in treatment delivery.
Saquinavir, boosted with ritonavir, is recommended by the World
Health Organization as one of three second line treatments in
resource-limited settings.
About Roche’s
Technology Transfer Initiative
Announced in January 2006, the Roche Technology Transfer Initiative
aims to provide local manufacturers with the technical expertise
required to produce generic HIV medicines. Manufacturers in sub-Saharan
Africa and the Least Developed Countries wishing to produce generic
saquinavir for use in these countries will not be required to
apply for a voluntary licence, as Roche has committed as part
of its global policy not to enforce patents on HIV antiretroviral
medicines within these countries. Interested manufacturers should
contact the Project Manager, Technology Transfer Initiative at
the Roche Kenya office: info.aidstechtransfer@roche.com.
About the
countries invited
Interested local manufacturers in the following countries are
invited to contact Roche to discuss the Technology Transfer Initiative:
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso,
Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad Comoros, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Gabon, Ghana Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti Kenya, Kiribati,
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar,
Namibia, Nigeria Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe,
Seychelles Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South
Africa, Swaziland Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste,
Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia Zimbabwe.
About Roche’s
patent and pricing policy
In addition to its Technology Transfer Initiative, Roche will
maintain its current pricing and patent policy for the developing
world. No patents for any of Roche medicines – across all
disease areas – will be filed in the world’s Least Developed
Countries (LDCs), as defined by the UN. Roche will not file patents
on new HIV/AIDS medicines in Least Developed Countries or sub-Saharan
Africa. Roche will not take action in these countries against
the sale or manufacture of generic versions of antretroviral medicines.
Generic versions of such HIV medicines can therefore be produced
in LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa without the need for a voluntary
or compulsory licence. Roche makes its HIV protease inhibitors
Invirase and Viracept available at no profit prices for direct
supplies from Roche Basel to LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s
leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals
and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services
for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving
people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader
in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and
transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2005 sales
by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 27.3 billion Swiss francs,
and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss
francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries and
has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners,
including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai.
Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the
Internet (www.roche.com).
All trademarks
used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.
Further information
- Roche & HIV/AIDS
- Access to Roche’s medicines
1WHO
treatment guidelines for resource limited setting
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