ROCHE TO ENABLE PRODUCTION OF GENERIC HIV DRUG IN AFRICA

Roche has announced a transfer of HIV drug technology to three African companies: South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare and Kenya's Cosmos and Universal. Roche will provide these companies free of charge with the technical expertise to manufacture generic saquinavir, Roche's second-line HIV drug. The companies will be able to produce saquinavir for supply throughout Kenya and South Africa in addition to any country in sub-Saharan Africa or on the United Nations list of least developed countries. These agreements are the first in a series of planned technology transfers, first announced in January.

As part of the agreement Roche has committed to work at the manufacturing facilities in Kenya and South Africa to direct the technology transfers. The company has generated interest from 25 companies from 14 countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, since the initial announcement.

As access to first-line treatment in Africa continues to increase, the need for second-line treatments will grow in parallel, according to Roche. As a result, increasing manufacturing knowledge and capacity for saquinavir within these regions could play a vital role in treatment delivery. Saquinavir, boosted with ritonavir, is recommended by the World Health Organization as one of three second-line treatments in resource-limited settings.

Roche will also maintain its current pricing and patent policy for the developing world. No patents for any of Roche medicines will be filed in the world's least developed countries, and the company will not take action in these countries against the sale or manufacture of generic versions of antretroviral medicines. Additionally, Roche makes its HIV protease inhibitors Invirase and Viracept available at no-profit prices in sub-Saharan Africa.