Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) will be partnering with AIDS Society of India to provide affordable antiretroviral (ARV) medicines in India soon.  MSD will be providing Isentress (Raltegravir) which was launched in India in April 2010 at a cheaper rate in the Indian market.

According to MSD spokesperson, the company is extremely proud to have made this medicine available to HIV patients in India and they would actively support medical education for physicians to ensure that Isentress is used appropriately, and will also invest to improve the exchange of clinical and scientific knowledge between India and other countries as a commitment to the patients in India.

The appropriate use of this product for those who are most in need due to resistance to their current ARV medications is important to retain its efficacy for the benefit of HIV patients in India for a long time. The company informed that the their main aim is to help provide access to the medicines and vaccines to patients in India who need them, be it via pricing, disease management approach or partnerships in order to provide access.

“With Isentress, our first step towards meeting this commitment is the approach towards pricing it in a responsible, India specific manner. We are also working closely with the medical fraternity in order to define the best treatment approaches and protocols with Isentress for their patients,” the company informed. At present, Isentress formulation is not manufactured in India.

The company states that the Merck/MSD pricing for Isentress varies from country to country, and from public to private sector, based on a tiered pricing policy that provides their ARV medicines at  appropriate pricing.

Isentress is a first-in-class integrase inhibitor with previously untargeted mechanism of action. It is also registered in more than 90 countries and the recipient of the prestigious Prix Galien award, an internationally renowned honour bestowed on ground breaking scientific advancements in the pharmaceutical industry.

At present there are no medicines available that promises any cure to this disease. However with the introduction of these drugs at comparatively lower cost it will be accessible to many. Other pharma company which will be manufacturing low cost HIV drugs for India is Emcure Pharmaceuticals. It will partner to manufacture HIV/AIDS drug Darunavir manufactured by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson following which the the cost of the drug would reduce by 75 to 99 per cent compared to the international market.