Janssen and IPM to develop preventative HIV therapy

Janssen has announced a new collaborative project with the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), centring on the creation of a new preventative therapy for HIV.

The company has expanded its existing relationship with IPM to encompass the development and delivery of dapivirine – also known as TMC120 – for the prevention of sexually-transmitted HIV.

Under this agreement, IPM now has exclusive worldwide rights to commercialise dapivirine for the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV, alone or in combination with either microbicidal antiretroviral medicines and/or in combination with contraceptives.

This would include a programme to ensure that women in lower-income communities have access to any product that IPM may choose to make available in developed countries through affordable pricing strategies.

Dr Wim Parys, head of research and development at Janssen Global Public Health, said: "We hope that now even more at-risk women around the world may benefit from this important collaboration by having affordable access to new prevention technologies in the future."

This comes after the firm announced a new agreement with the Stop TB Partnership to facilitate access to tuberculosis therapies in developing countries last month.