Unique collaboration supported by Roche signifies further achievement in increasing access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care

The Cambodia Treatment Access Programme (CTAP) has provided support for a new treatment centre for people living with HIV/AIDS in the capital, Phnom Penh, as part of its on-going efforts to tackle the growing problem of HIV/AIDS. Cambodia currently has the highest recorded HIV prevalence in Asia (1), with over 170,000 people currently living with HIV/AIDS (2).

CTAP, which was established in September 2003, is a three-way partnership between:

- The Cambodian Ministry of Health

- The National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the 

  University of New South Wales, Australia

- Roche

This public-private partnership is one of a number of activities being supported by Roche in resource-poor settings as part of its commitment to increasing access to HIV/AIDS healthcare.

William M. Burns, Head of Roche Pharmaceuticals said: "This is a unique collaboration established to increase access to vital HIV/AIDS healthcare in Cambodia, conduct research, and train local healthcare professionals. Roche is committed to helping people in greatest need by working in partnership with others, ensuring expertise is shared and removing patents and profit as barriers to our HIV protease inhibitor medicines in Least Developed Countries. This project is one of our efforts to make a long term difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS."

CTAP - Phnom Penh

The new treatment centre has been established to provide a range of services including counseling, clinical care, preventative treatment for opportunistic infections and HIV therapy, and has been designed to provide the framework for a comprehensive programme of training and research in HIV medicine.

Dr Mean Chhi Vun, Director of the Cambodian National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs (NCHADS) comments: "Everyone involved in CTAP has played a vital role in establishing the centre and developing the treatment and training programmes. This is a real achievement that we hope will have a great impact on people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. Addressing the problems of HIV/AIDS is a real challenge and it is essential that activities undertaken focus on the needs of our people living with HIV/AIDS now and in the future. The commitment and support of Roche in helping us to establish a programme that is sustainable and can have long-term benefits will make a real difference to the people of Cambodia".

Achievements of CTAP

In addition to the opening of the HIV centre, the work undertaken by the partnership has already had an impact on HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. To date, CTAP has played a role in the:

- Development and publication of Cambodian National HIV treatment

  Guidelines and Policies

- Development of a National HIV Care Training Programme to help expand 

  access to quality HIV care throughout the country

Also, NCHADS and UNSW staff supported by CTAP played key roles in helping secure monies for Cambodia from the Global Fund for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. An application for fourth round funding for HIV treatment and care was successful, with a total of US $36.5m being secured for disbursement over the next five years. It is estimated that this funding will enable coverage of HIV treatment to be scaled up to 75 per cent of those in need to treatment in Cambodia.

David Cooper, Director of The National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, comments: "Since the beginning of the partnership, CTAP has made real advances in the area of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, with the training of local healthcare professionals and our contribution to the National HIV programs highlighting our achievements. In establishing the clinic, we have faced a number of challenges, but with the hard work of everyone involved and the strong commitment the Cambodian Government and Roche we have overcome these challenges and are very proud to be welcoming the first patients into the clinic."

In addition to the vital contribution for CTAP, Roche supports other treatment access programmes, such as the CARE programme in four African countries. CARE is the Cohort programme to evaluate Access to antiretRoviral treatment and Education. The programme is run in four major urban treatment centres, C�te d'Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal and Uganda. To date, 24-week results have shown that treatment success rates using highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa can be as high as those achieved in Western settings.

Roche Policies in Least Developed Countries

No patents for any of Roche medicines - across all disease areas - will be filed in the world's Least Developed Countries (LDCs), as defined by the UN. Roche will not file patents on new HIV/AIDS medicines in Least Developed Countries or sub-Saharan Africa. Roche will not take action in these countries against the sale or manufacture of generic versions of HIV medicines for which Roche still holds patents. Generic versions of such HIV medicines can therefore be produced in LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa without the need for a voluntary or compulsory licence.

Roche makes its HIV protease inhibitors - Invirase (saquinavir) and Viracept (nelfinavir) available at no profit prices for direct supplies from Roche Basel to LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa.

Roche no profit pricing and patent policies apply to Cambodia and to approximately two thirds of all people living with HIV/AIDS in the world.

Through its AmpliCare program Roche has been supplying HIV viral load tests at the lowest possible price to sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, and countries defined by the United Nation as 'least developed'. AmpliCare focuses on the complete continuum of care - from testing to monitoring to education - and works to optimize efforts on a region-by-region basis. It includes flexible pricing and support of major government and private programs. Capping it off is an education program to ensure that local doctors and nurses are fully informed on the latest advances in HIV/ AIDS care.

Roche in HIV

Roche has been committed since 1985 to groundbreaking HIV research and development of innovative new HIV drugs and diagnostic technology. Roche is a founding partner of the Accelerating Access Initiative to increase access to HIV care in the world's Least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa. For more information on Roche policy and pricing of HIV protease inhibitors for these regions and research in HIV, see www.roche-hiv.com.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-intensive healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2003 the Pharmaceuticals Division generated 19.8 billion Swiss francs in prescription drug sales, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.4 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai.

The National Center for HIV/AIDS, STD and Dermatology, Ministry of Health, Cambodia

The National Center for HIV/AIDS, STD and Dermatology (NCHADS) is the institution within the Cambodian Ministry of Health responsible for the planning, conduct and evaluation of government health sector HIV/AIDS and STI policy and programs.

National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales, Australia

NCHECR is Australia's leading agency in HIV-related clinical research. It has responsibility for the coordination of Australia's national surveillance system for HIV/AIDS and for the conduct of HIV therapeutic trials. In addition to collaborations in Cambodia, it is involved in HIV research and programs throughout the Asia Pacific region.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.

An open day for media is being scheduled at the clinic in March, 2005. Please contact Cendrine Banerjee-Quetel (cendrine.banerjee-quetel@ketchum.com) if you would like further information.

References:

1) UNAIDS 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, June 2004, page 28

2) WHO/UNAIDS Epidemiological fact sheets on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections - Cambodia, 2004 update.

Additional information

- National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the 

  University of New South Wales, Australia:

  www.med.unsw.edu.au/nchecr/

- Cambodian Ministry of Health:  

  www.cambodia.gov.kh/unisql1/egov/english/ministry.detail.html?link=9

- Sustainable Development at Roche:

  www.roche.com/home/sustainability.htm

- Roche Pharmaceuticals in HIV/AIDS: www.roche-hiv.com

- Roche Diagnostics AmpliCare program:

  http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/sustain/pdf/rochehivbro_e.pdf

Media Office contacts

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