The Battle Against AIDS

By Craig Kubicek, CIS Compliance Associate
craigkubicek@cis-partners.com

Although HIV/AIDS is not as newsworthy nowadays as it was when it was first discovered in the 1980s, it affects 33.2 million world-wide and is a major concern for world leaders. [1] The world has been battling this disease for years and has recently been able to treat the symptoms of AIDS, as well as suppress the disease; however, no cure has been created by any governments, companies, or universities to this day. Due to the number of AIDS inflicted individuals throughout the world, there is a continual push for a cure.

Some drug companies have devoted entire sectors of their business to AIDS. As a matter of fact, Bristol-Myers Squibb has a new HIV/AIDS drug going through FDA approval as you read this.[2] To really strengthen the race to find a cure, two large pharmaceutical companies have combined their power to focus on the disease. [3] GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer are putting their heads together and have created a spinoff company called ViiV Healthcare. Dr. Dominique Limet, the Chief Executive Officer of ViiV Healthcare, explained, “Rising infection rates and increasingly complex treatment issues have created a challenging landscape in the treatment of HIV and the need for innovative research and better patient resources.” [4] GSK holds a majority share in ViiV Healthcare, but hopes to cooperatively work with Pfizer to find a solution to the ongoing AIDS pandemic.

ViiV healthcare currently sells 10 HIV/AIDS treatments and medicines. The sales of these products and services will provide the company with revenue to support its operations. According to GSK’s press release, “The company also has a pipeline of seven innovative and targeted medicines, including five compounds in phase II development. Altogether, ViiV Healthcare has 17 molecules in its portfolio to develop as potential new HIV treatments.”[5]

Bringing companies together to tackle illnesses is a great approach to solving many of humanity’s problems. Sometimes, one company alone does not have the knowledge or resources to meet the world’s needs. As time progresses, I hope to see more companies do the same. I am all for businesses and competition, but sometimes there is more to life than profits and revenue. If these endeavors are successful, cooperation may prove to be key to conquering HIV/AIDS.

[1] http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf
[2] http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BreakingNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1120611%20&Category=Breaking%20News
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/health/10glob.html
[4] http://www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases/2009/2009_pressrelease_10123.htm
[5] http://www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases/2009/2009_pressrelease_10123.htm