Stephen Saad, Aspen Group CEO. .
Aspen Pharmacare Holdings has reached a licensing agreement for a medicine still under formal approval process, that may provide a once-monthly, long-acting oral medicine to prevent HIV-1.
Aspen said Friday the agreement was with MSD, a subsidiary of US-based Merck & Co, and it provides Aspen with rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialise MK-8527, or alimatravir, an investigational, late-stage, once-monthly, long-acting oral medicine for the prevention of HIV-1.
“South Africa carries one of the highest HIV burdens in the world, and every new tool that removes a barrier to prevention matters. A once-a-month oral option, if brought to market through local manufacturing partnerships such as this one between MSD and Aspen, has the potential to improve adherence compared to daily dosing, particularly among young women and adolescent girls, who remain disproportionately affected by new infections,” South African Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said in a statement.
Aspen Group CEO Stephen Saad said the agreement is an important step in their commitment to improve access to new medicines in Africa and strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
