Breakthrough agreement to accelerate HIV cure research achieved
Common Material Transfer Agreement will accelerate the search for a cure
January 20, 2016 - Geneva, Switzerland - The International AIDS Society (IAS) today announced the finalisation of a Common Material Transfer Agreement (cMTA) for the donation and use of antiretroviral drugs for preclinical studies in HIV cure research. This major achievement is the result of more than a year of negotiation with leading pharmaceutical companies.
“This agreement will greatly accelerate the transfer of drugs for cure and remission studies,” said Nobel Laureate and Co-founder of the IAS Towards an HIV Cure initiative Françoise Barré-Sinoussi . “Many were sceptical that we would reach this point but today's agreement proves the importance of collaboration in HIV Cure research.”
The cMTA will significantly shorten the process for transfer of drugs, ultimately accelerating scientific advances in particular for academic researchers working on the use of combination ART to control virus replication in pre-clinical animal models of HIV cure. The agreement allows researchers to receive marketed ARVs from multiple pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, researchers will be permitted to combine the drugs with the aim of achieving and maintaining a virally suppressed state upon which to evaluate hypotheses for remission or cure therapies.
The cMTA was developed by the IAS Towards an HIV Cure Industry Collaboration Group (ICG), whose mission is to foster dialogue and collaboration between the private and the public sector involved in HIV cure research. The cMTA was spearheaded by five pharmaceutical companies: ViiV Healthcare, Gilead, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Johnson & Johnson, and Merck.
Importantly, the agreement contains a provision that mandates recipient institutions to provide non-exclusive licenses for potential cure breakthroughs to all parties who request them; not only to the pharmaceutical partners providing the ARVs.
“The ICG's ability to reach consensus on this agreement reaffirms the commitment of the scientific community, both public and private, to find a cure for HIV,” said Chris Beyrer , President of the IAS and Professor of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“The cMTA illustrates the industry and private sector joint commitment to advancing research that could lead to HIV remission and ultimately a cure,” commented Dominique Limet , CEO of ViiV Healthcare. “The agreement not only provides a novel framework for the receipt and use of multiple antiretrovirals, but it also embodies a genuine international collaborative spirit of sharing and openness in the fight against HIV.”
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About the International AIDS Society (IAS)
Founded in 1988, the International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 180 countries. IAS members work on all fronts of the global response to AIDS and include researchers, clinicians, policy and programme planners, and public health and community practitioners. For more information visit: www.iasociety.org
About Towards an HIV Cure
The Towards an HIV Cure project is an initiative of the International AIDS Society (IAS). The mission of the project is to facilitate more concerted efforts to advance global scientific research towards a cure for HIV and to demonstrate leadership in advocating for increased investment in HIV cure research. For more information visit: www.towardsanhivcure.org
Contacts
Mandy Sugrue
Senior Manager, Communications, IAS
Mandy.Sugrue@iascoiety.org
Kristina Collins
Communications Officer, IAS
Kristina.Collins@iasociety.org
Source: http://www.iasociety.org/The-latest/News/ArticleID/43/Breakthrough-agreement-to-accelerate-HIV-cure-research-achieved
"Reproduced with permission - International AIDS Society"
International AIDS Society
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