Two months after signing a licence with Gilead Sciences, Inc. for the company's novel investigational medicine tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), MPP announced six new sub-licences with Aurobindo, Cipla, Desano, Emcure, Hetero Labs and Laurus Labs to allow generic manufacture of TAF for 112 developing countries. MPP's announcement comes one day after Gilead released positive results on two of its TAF Phase III studies, suggesting that the medicine has the potential to play a large role in the international community's efforts to scale-up HIV treatment.1

''The generic companies will begin development plans for a promising, new HIV product simultaneous with the US Food and Drug Administration's review to expedite access to lowand middle-income countries once the medicine is approved,'' said Greg Perry, executive director, MPP. ''This is revolutionary in its approach to ensuring more people living with HIV have access to newer options for treating the disease.''

In studies, TAF has demonstrated comparable antiviral efficacy to that of 300 milligram tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)- a World Health Organization-preferred HIV therapy but at a dose that is 10 times lower. The smaller milligram dose may also allow lower production costs, as well as greater ease in developing new fixed-dose combinations and single tablet regimens.

''With this agreement Aurobindo will be collaborating with the MPP on seven HIV medicine development programmes,'' said Arvind Vasudeva, chief executive officer, Formulations at Aurobindo. ''We have finalized developments plans for key ARVs from our first sublicence in 2011 and appreciate our continued role in providing promising new products such as TAF to low and middle-income countries in the future.''

''Cipla is happy to sign its second agreement with MPP for TAF,'' said Subhanu Saxena, MD & Global CEO, Cipla. ''Cipla has been committed to the cause of HIV/AIDS for  over two decades and this agreement emphasizes our ongoing commitment to provide advanced and effective treatments. This deal affirms Cipla’s overarching goal of providing access to affordable medicines to patients using established mechanisms that allow us to put patients first.''

Shares of Cipla gained Rs 8, or 1.33%, to settle at Rs 608.35. The total volume of shares traded was 261,284 at the BSE (Thursday).