Pfizer venture's HIV drugs available to poor nations

Pfizer Inc.'s joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline to develop and sell AIDS drugs has opened up its entire arsenal of medicines to generic drugmakers targeting the world's poorest countries, the company announced Friday.

ViiV Healthcare, currently owned 85 percent by Glaxo and 15 percent by Pfizer, said the offer would be extended to the world's 69 least developed nations, including Haiti and all of sub-Saharan Africa, representing about 80 percent of those currently living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. With more than 30 million people currently infected with HIV, according to World Health Organization statistics, 24 million could benefit from ViiV Healthcare's initiative.

Dominique Limet, chief executive of ViiV, said people from poor countries often have access to front-line AIDS treatments but not the second-line therapies - including Pfizer's Selzentry, discovered in England and developed in New London - that are required later on.

"There is an increased need for second- and third-line treatment options once initial treatment failure occurs," Limet said in a statement. "This is why we have taken steps to make our entire portfolio and our pipeline available through our royalty-free voluntary licensing and not-for-profit initiatives."

ViiV said voluntary licenses will be provided to generic manufacturers for its current portfolio, as well as for products still in development. In addition to Pfizer and Glaxo, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Shionogi have waived their rights to royalty payments from the world's poorest countries.

The countries include 34 in Africa, 15 in Asia and the Pacific, one in the Caribbean. They range from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

ViiV Healthcare, launched late last year, is based in London. Selzentry and the other nine HIV drugs that ViiV Healthcare currently has on the market generate sales of about $2.5 billion.