AFRICA: Agreement to slow spread of HIV
JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - International manufacturer of health care products, Johnson and Johnson (J&J), will give away rights to an experimental microbicide gel to developing countries.
In a recent announcement, J&J subsidiary Tibotec Pharmaceuticals agreed to hand over development of the vaginal gel, which could prevent HIV infection among women and is in early-stage human testing, to the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), a non-profit organisation.
According to a Canadian newspaper, The Record, IPM estimated it would spend up to US $100 million to test the gel, and may reformulate it into a differently administered product, such as a vaginal ring.
"This agreement demonstrates that the public and private sectors can come together to confront the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and work to save women's lives," Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of IPM, said.
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