PITTSBURGH, April 20 /PRNewswire/ --
Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL) today announced that Matrix Laboratories Limited, its India-based subsidiary in which it holds a 71.2% controlling interest, has been selected by the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) under its UNITAID-funded projects as the primary supplier of five antiretroviral (ARV) drugs used in second-line HIV/AIDS treatment regimens. Matrix also has been selected as the primary supplier of seven ARVs used for pediatric treatment.
Mylan Vice Chairman and CEO Robert J. Coury said: I would like to congratulate UNITAID and CHAI on the tremendous impact they have made in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which continues to present significant challenges on a global scale. Facilitating patient access to affordable, quality treatments has helped transform AIDS from a fatal illness into a manageable chronic condition. Ensuring that access to these treatments continues to expand is a critical piece of solving this crisis. Mylan and Matrix are proud to play an important role in these efforts by supplying a broad portfolio of low cost, high quality products, and we remain committed to further increasing access for patients in developing countries through our innovative science and expertise.
According to the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS), an estimated 33 million people in the world are infected with HIV, and more than 90% of those patients live in the developing world. Less than 4 million patients globally are receiving treatment; however, approximately 30% of patients in developing countries depend on Matrix ARV products.
Mylan's Chief Operating Officer Heather Bresch added: Matrix has done a remarkable job developing a world-class ARV business in just a few years. Their emphasis on producing affordable products has significantly reduced the average annual cost per patient of AIDS treatment. I also would like to recognize the efforts of UNITAID and CHAI, which have both worked diligently to increase the supply of effective medicines. Significant progress has been made in dramatically reducing the costs of second-line treatments, and our partnerships with CHAI and other donor organizations will allow us to further reduce the costs of treatments for children. However, there still is much more work to be done. Mylan and Matrix intend to advance our leadership role and partnerships by continuing to produce affordable, high quality ARV products and getting them to those in need.
Matrix's second-line products selected for the 2009 UNITAID-CHAI projects include heat-stable Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Tenofovir and two fixed-dose combinations that use Tenofovir. The seven ARVs for which Matrix was selected under the UNITAID Pediatric Project include several first-line fixed-dose combinations. Patients often use second-line therapies if and when they develop resistance to initially prescribed treatments or experience clinical failures. Fixed-dose combinations are multiple ARV drugs combined into a single pill.
UNITAID
UNITAID is an international drug purchase facility, established to provide long-term, sustainable and predictable funding to increase access and reduce prices of quality drugs and diagnostics for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries. UNITAID-CHAI projects supply ARVs for pediatric and adult second-line treatment in 42 developing countries. The group's efforts account for approximately 75% of funding spent on pediatric ARV treatments and 50% of funding spent on second-line ARV treatments in generic accessible markets.
Matrix and ARVs
Matrix is one of the world's largest producers of API used to manufacture ARVs. In 2007, Matrix launched its FDF ARV franchise and, only two years later, offers 29 FDFs, including most of the currently used first- and second-line treatments. All of Matrix's ARV facilities in India meet World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quality standards, and the company has strong partnerships with all major funding agencies involved in the procurement of ARVs. In addition to its ARV capabilities, Matrix is the world's third largest manufacturer of API used to produce a broad range of therapies.
Mylan
Mylan Inc., which provides products to customers in more than 140 countries and territories, ranks among the leading diversified generics and specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company maintains one of the industry's broadest - and highest quality - product portfolios, supported by a robust product pipeline; owns a controlling interest in the world's third largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer; and operates a specialty business focused on respiratory and allergy therapies. For more information, visit www.mylan.com.
Media, Michael Laffin, +1-724-514-1968, or Investors, Dan Crookshank, +1-724-514-1813, both of Mylan Inc.
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