Generics sign patent pool pledge to improve access to COVID-19 treatments
In response to the surge of COVID-19 infections worldwide, 18 generic drug makers have pledged to join the effort by the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to accelerate global access to effective COVID-19 treatments via a pool for voluntary product licences.
According to an announcement by the MPP on 12 November, the companies have agreed to work together to accelerate access to hundreds of millions of doses to be distributed in low and middle-income countries.
The companies, which have signed the commitment, include Adcock Ingram, Arene Life Sciences, Aurobindo, Beximco, Celltrion, Desano, Hetero, Lupin, Langua Pharma, Macleods, Mangalam Drugs & Drugs, Micro Labs, Natco, Strides Pharma and Sun Pharma.
“This unprecedented cooperation from companies that are typically competitors represents a breakthrough in our efforts to level the playing field for access to drugs that will be crucial to controlling and defeating this pandemic,” said Charles Gore, executive director of MPP in a statement.
“These are companies with an excellent track record of working with originators to ensure generic versions of their innovations meet high standards for quality while answering the need for more affordable, accessible therapies,” he added.
Gore noted that, collectively, the companies joining the pledge have the capacity to deliver substantial amounts of conventional drugs, and have an increasing ability to produce more molecules known as biologics. Biologics include monoclonal antibodies targeting COVID-19 and have shown potential in either treating or preventing infections.
Gore added that he hoped the pledge by these generic industry players to produce large volumes of high-quality COVID-19 treatments will encourage firms developing either new or re-purposed therapies to negotiate agreements allowing rapid access to those in need.
This, he added, can be either through licensing of their IP, or where licences are not needed, facilitating ways to scale up manufacturing capacity to meet the high demands.
The global health initiative Unitaid formed MPP in 2010 to negotiate patent licence agreements with pharmaceutical companies that are placed in a pool to make them more easily accessible for generic manufacturers.
So far, MPP has negotiated agreements with companies such as ViiV Healthcare, Bristol Myers Squibb and AbbVie to allow generic producers to provide over 15 billion doses of HIV and Hepatitis C medicines to low and middle-income countries.
Philippe Duneton, executive director of Unitaid, welcomed the announcement. “Making sure there is enough supply capacity of potential game-changing treatments for COVID-19 is critical to ensure equitable access in low- and middle-income countries. Using the proven MPP model to ensure access to effective and affordable health solutions not only makes sense in this COVID-19 emergency but is the right thing to do,” he said.
In an LSPN Connect session held in June 2019, Gore emphasised MPP’s experience in patent pooling and negotiating bespoke licensing agreements for generic drugs.
“Industry has come to see that we are a very useful option,” Gore said, commenting on how patent pooling could ease distribution challenges for Big Pharma in lower and middle-income countries.
Not only does the MPP model improve access, it can also improve the quality and safety of drugs entering lower income countries, Gore added.
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