British Indian Ocean Territory

ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action on HIV/AIDS

Set up in 1992, Positive Action is ViiV Healthcare's international HIV/AIDS education, care and community support program. It works with community organizations to build capacity to counter the ignorance and stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS through outreach, education and advocacy. In 2009, ViiV Healthcare provided more than GBP 1 million, funding projects in 46 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

ViiV Healthcare Collaborative Research Program for Resource-Poor Settings

ViiV Healthcare is committed to the development of new molecules that target unmet medical needs in HIV. The treatment of children with HIV/AIDS remains a significant unmet medical need and there is a pressing need for new medicines to tackle problems such as drug resistance, complex treatment regimens, and side effects associated with current treatments.

Technology Transfer & ARV Licensing in Developing Countries

Pharmaceutical companies' preferential pricing of antiretrovirals make effective, safe, high quality HIV/AIDS treatments available to developing countries. In some cases, companies also issue voluntary licenses (VLs) which allow local manufacturers in developing countries to produce and sell generic versions of their products. VLs are not a universal solution to HIV/AIDS but a response to specific circumstances. Local factors encouraging VL use include a severe HIV/AIDS epidemic, adequate health care infrastructure, suitable economic conditions and sufficient manufacturing expertise.

Sanofi-aventis: TB Free & Other Initiatives

In March 2002, sanofi-aventis and the Nelson Mandela Foundation established the TB Free program, a EUR 15 million effort to increase detection and treatment rates for tuberculosis in South Africa. Initially planned to finish in 2007, it has now been extended to 2010. The partnership trains volunteers to encourage patient compliance during the 6-month treatment, using the WHO-recommended DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course) strategy.

Sanofi-aventis: Diabetes Prevention

In 2006, sanofi-aventis launched pilot programs to help improve diabetes disease management in developing countries, in conjunction with the NGO Handicap International, Sante Diabete Mali and other local NGOs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Several projects were set up in 2007 in Burundi, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Philippines and Thailand. The program aims to help local health care systems to manage the disease better, prevent the onset of complications and so avoid the subsequent need for surgical interventions such as amputation.

Sanofi-aventis - DNDi Malaria Medicine

In April 2005, sanofi-aventis signed an agreement with Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to develop a new medicine against malaria, in response to a call from the World Health Organization (WHO) for malaria be treated by drug combinations to combat resistance. DNDi and sanofi-aventis have developed a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of two antimalarial compounds, artesunate and amodiaquine (ASAQ) that is easier to use and more affordable than any other combination currently available.

Safe Motherhood Initiative

The Safe Motherhood Initiative seeks to reduce maternal mortality in India, the Philippines and Tibet.

Ranbaxy R&D for TB

In collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology of the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, Ranbaxy has dedicated resources to explore its compound library to find molecules that may show activity against tuberculosis. Studies are also being conducted to determine the mode of action for identified compounds. Once a hit is identified, it can be optimized to develop a clinical candidate. All studies are conducted in a BSL3 facility funded by the Indian Government. Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. of Japan took a majority stake in Ranbaxy in 2008.

Ranbaxy R&D for Malaria

Arterolane maleate, or RBx-11160, is a synthetic version of artemisinin discovered by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, under a Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) program. Being synthetic, arterolane is not dependent on the artemisia annua plant-based supply chain which has presented some challenges to increasing the availability of artemisinin combination treatments (ACTs), and may also offer cost advantages. A partnership between Ranbaxy and MMV was initiated in May 2003 to develop the compound into a new anti-malarial medicine.

Ranbaxy R&D for Dengue

In 2007, Ranbaxy announced a 3-year collaborative research with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), to develop an effective therapy for treatment of dengue infection. Project funding is provided by the Government of India. Ranbaxy has adopted a two-pronged approach: Exploring the available indigenous herbal repertoire for anti-dengue activity. Twenty plants were selected based on traditional knowledge and literature search. Two plant extracts with promising anti-dengue activity against all four serotypes were identified.

Pages