Senators Baldwin and Coburn Applaud Commitment to Enhance Access to HIV Drugs in Developing Countries

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) sent a letter applauding AbbVie Inc.’s recent agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to enhance affordable access to HIV treatments for children in developing countries. The Senators expressed support for negotiations earlier this year and are now commending the licensing agreement for two World Health Organization-recommended medicines for children that will allow the drugs to be made at a lower cost for pediatric HIV patients in the developing world.

“I am extremely encouraged by this commitment to help provide affordable and essential HIV treatments to children in developing countries,” said Senator Baldwin. “Combatting HIV/AIDS requires collaboration from everyone, and AbbVie’s partnership with the Medicine’s Patent Pool marks another important step in our country’s fight to help the most vulnerable and to achieve an AIDS-free generation.”

“I applaud AbbVie for working to extend the reach of its lifesaving drugs to children in need around the world,” Dr. Coburn said. “Its decision brings us one step closer to achieving an AIDS-free generation.”

The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed organization founded in 2010 by UNITAID to increase access to HIV treatment and spur innovation worldwide by negotiating patent licenses for the production of low-cost versions of new and existing medicines. The AbbVie-MPP collaboration, which marks the first time AbbVie has granted a license for generic production of its HIV drugs, extends MPP’s portfolio to eleven antiretrovirals and for one medicine for an HIV opportunistic infection. Ten generic manufacturers have now licensed from the organization.

An online version of the letter can be found here.