Medicines Patent Pool

The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), is a United Nations-backed organisation founded in July 2010^[1] and based in Geneva, Switzerland. The MPP aims to improve access to appropriate, affordable HIV medicines and technologies for people living with HIV in developing countries. Working in partnership with a range of stakeholders, the MPP opens the door to generic low-cost production of key HIV therapies as well as fixed-dose combinations and paediatric formulations by creating a pool of relevant patents for sub-licensing and product development.

Financing

The MPP is financed by UNITAID, a financing mechanism that targets HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in low-income countries, for a five-year period. The MPP was the first and is one of two patent pools that aim to tackle the issue of access to HIV/AIDS drugs in low-income countries. The other is the Pool for Open Innovation.^[2]

Activities and achievements

To date the MPP has signed agreements with Bristol Myers-Squibb,^[3] Gilead Sciences,^[4][5] the US National Institutes of Health,^[6] ViiV Healthcare,^[7][8] and F. Hoffmann-La Roche ^[9] for nine HIV medicines. Ten generic manufacturers have now licensed from the MPP and are actively distributing generic medicines in developing countries or pursuing development plans for future introduction.

In May 2014, the MPP, UNITAID, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative launched the Paediatric HIV Treatment Initiative (PHTI)^[10] to scale-up HIV treatment for children. The PHTI will focus on developing and delivering specific formulations and combinations adapted for children.

In October 2012, the MPP, Gilead Sciences and the UN National Institutes of Health/University of Illinois were honoured by the Licensing Executives Society (United States and Canada) (LES) for licence agreements that expand access to affordable HIV medicines in developing countries. The LES’s annual "Deals of Distinction" Awards are presented to notable intellectual property agreements in five industry sectors and the three parties were recognised for precedence-setting licensing agreements dedicated to improving public health under the Industry-University-Government Interface category.^[11]

Structure

The MPP is governed by a governance board, which is a type of Executive Board, composed of six people and advised by an Expert Advisory Group made up of twelve.^[12] The MPP Executive Director is Greg Perry, the former founder and Director of the European Generic Medicines Association.

Previously, the MPP was led by Chan Park, currently the MPP General Counsel, who took office following the departure ^[13] of Ellen 't Hoen, the MPP's first Executive Director.

References