GSK licenses companies to make cheap copies of HIV prevention drug
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[March 30, 2023]
By Maggie Fick
LONDON (Reuters) - British drugmaker GSK has signed deals with three
companies allowing them to make inexpensive generic versions of its
long-acting HIV preventive medicine for use in lower-income countries,
where the majority of new HIV cases occur.
The injected drug cabotegravir was approved by regulators in the United
States in late 2021. Last July, GSK announced a program with the United
Nations-backed healthcare organisation, the Medicines Patent Pool,
aiming to get poor countries access to new HIV therapies far earlier
than they did for previous HIV medicines.
During the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Africa in the 1990s and early 2000s, in
which many millions of people died, treatments used widely in wealthy
countries were unavailable on the continent.
GSK said last year the new program could result in the generic form of
its injection being available in lower-income countries beginning in
2026.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Mar/30/images/ads/current/lincolnag_sda_SFARM_2023.png)
The drugmaker's HIV treatment division, ViiV Healthcare, said in a
statement on Wednesday it had issued voluntary licenses - waiving
intellectual property rights - to Aurobindo, Cipla and Viatris, which
will manufacture the generic versions of injectible cabotegravir.
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![](../images/033023PIX/health54.jpg)
GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) logo is seen in
this illustration, August 10, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Mar/30/images/ads/current/graue_lda_SFARM_2023.png) The generic copies will be supplied
in 90 countries, subject to regulatory approvals there, the
statement said.
Indian drugmaker Cipla will make the injections in India and has
plans to manufacture in South Africa, which is trying to grow its
drugs manufacturing industry to meet the continent's needs and
reduce dependency on imports that was exposed by the COVID-19
pandemic.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective way for an at-risk
HIV-negative person to reduce the risk of infection. But until
recently, PrEP was only available in pill form. GSK's product is the
first non-pill option.
(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Editing by David Holmes)
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