7 June 2010 @ 19:19 by 
Daniele Dionisio - New to IQsensato’s Guest Papers section is a short paper entitled Cutting edge fixed-dose brand HIV drug combinations to speed up enforcement of UNITAID patent pool plan contributed by myself (Member, European Parliament Working Group on Innovation, Access to Medicines and Poverty-Related Diseases).
The paper aligns with the spirit and resolutions of the just-closed Sixty-third World Health Assembly and are of particular interest now that UNITAID is trying to overcome key obstacles and finalize a patent pool plan for HIV medicines aimed to avoid unnecessary deaths and improving the quality of life of millions of people in need. The paper includes a table containing essential information on possible fixed-dose combination ARVs for rolling out through brand company partnerships.
Since the guest paper makes a number of references to the UNITAID patent pool and includes suggestions, we considered it important to make a few clarifications on what the UNITAID Medicines Patent Pool Initiative (MPPI) intends to do and where the initiative currently stands. The UNITAID MPPI aims to establish a voluntary licensing mechanism to respond to the looming crisis on access to affordable and appropriate anti-retroviral drugs in developing countries. In particular, the MPPI intends to enhance generic competition for ARVs in developing countries and spur the development of new formulations (such as fixed dose combinations and paediatric and heat-stable formulations) that are particularly suited to developing country contexts (for details, see the Executive Summary of the Implementation Plan at: http://www.unitaid.eu/images/meetings/ForWebsite_UNITAID_Patent_Pool_Implementation_Plan_-_Executive_Summary.pdf ). The decision taken by the UNITAID Board on June 8, 2010, towards the establishment of the Medicines Patent Pool Foundation will enable formal negotiations with the companies to begin. To date, several key patent holders and generic manufacturers have expressed interest in participating in the Pool. More information on the UNITAID and the Medicines Patent Pool Initiative is available from the UNITAID website at: http://www.unitaid.eu/
Esteban Burrone, Policy Officer, Medicines Patent Pool, UNITAID