Merck Statement on Increasing Access to Pediatric HIV Treatment
May 18, 2014 1:00 pm ET
Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, applauds UNITAID for taking steps to create — in cooperation with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) — an integrated partnership intended to increase access to pediatric HIV treatment by developing improved or new pediatric formulations of HIV medicines. We support efforts to expand treatment of pediatric HIV, which globally lags behind efforts to expand access to treatment among adults.
Merck welcomes this initiative, and is in negotiation with MPP regarding potential licenses on the pediatric formulations of raltegravir (ISENTRESS®). We look forward to engaging with UNITAID, DNDi and MPP as part of this effort to expand access to raltegravir (ISENTRESS®) pediatric formulations.
For nearly 30 years, Merck has demonstrated its commitment to improved access to HIV medicines through longstanding efforts including differential pricing, voluntary licensing, public-private partnerships, philanthropic programs, and continued research and development efforts in HIV.
About Merck
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).
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ISENTRESS® is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, N.J., USA.
