Roche, as part of its new Technology Transfer Initiative, will expand its current activities within sub-Saharan Africa and the world's Least Developed Countries by providing local manufacturers with the technical expertise required to produce generic HIV medicines. These countries cover 69% of all people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. The model for the transfer of expertise will be based upon the processes to manufacture the HIV protease inhibitor medicine, saquinavir, recommended by the World Health Organization as a second line treatment in resource limited settings.

William M. Burns, CEO Division Roche Pharmaceuticals, stated, "With international funding now available, Africa will be the world's biggest user of HIV medicine. We have taken this unique step, which is unlike any initiative undertaken by Roche, to help ensure that the right medicines in the right formulation are available locally. We want to use the knowledge we have developed to help strengthen local manufacturing capability and hope to help as many manufacturers as possible in these hardest hit countries by sharing our knowledge, so that they can learn and benefit from our technology."

A new Roche team is being established and the full team will be fully operational from the second quarter of 2006. The team will be based in part on the ground in Africa, as much of the knowledge and skill sharing will be undertaken onsite, at the local manufacturer's production facilities, and in part at the global headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, according to a company release.

With the growing scale up effort resulting in increased access to first line treatment in resource limited settings, such as sub-Saharan Africa, the need and subsequently the demand for second line treatments will continue to grow. As a result, increasing manufacturing knowledge and capacity within these regions could play a vital role in treatment delivery.

Manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa and the Least Developed Countries wishing to produce generic saquinavir for use in these countries will not be required to apply for a voluntary licence, as Roche has committed as part of its global policy not to enforce the patents it holds on HIV medicines within these regions.

The countries include: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia Zimbabwe.