GSK agrees Rwanda access to generic HIV drugs

UK-based GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has given consent through Canada's Access to Medicines Regime to enable local pharmaceutical firm Apotex to manufacture a generic fixed dose combination (FDC) antiretroviral (ARV), containing GSK's patented active ingredients zidovudine and lamivudine for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda.

Canada's Access to Medicines Regime allows the government to authorise the production of certain patented medicines for export. The legislation includes controls which are designed to ensure that these essential medicines reach the patients for whom they are intended and the authorisation to be granted will be subject to these controls.

GSK has agreed to waive royalties as long as Apotex's triple combination generic anti-retroviral will be supplied on a strictly not-for-profit basis.

CEO for GSK Canada, Paul Lucas, said: "Tackling the AIDS crisis is one of the greatest challenges the world faces. GSK continues to play its part to tackle this crisis through research and development, not-for-profit pricing and ongoing investment in dedicated community programmes. Our decision to allow Apotex to manufacture an FDC containing two GSK molecules is part of this broad commitment."