International aid organization UNITAID has expressed “deep concern” with the closure this month of a manufacturing plant in France that produces small-dosage didanosine (Videx) tablets for infants.

The closure of the Bristol-Myers Squibb facility is currently expected to halt production of the tablets until a new manufacturing site opens in April of 2011.

In an open letter to Bristol-Myers Squibb, UNITAID, an international organization that helps developing countries purchase treatments for HIV/AIDS, requested the company respond with an appropriate solution.

“Closing this factory means that 4,000 to 7,000 babies currently…

The international organization UNITAID will launch a new patent pool to lower the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs for poorer countries, the Executive Board announced Monday. The patent pool is set to open in mid-2010 and is expected to save over one billion dollars annually.

In a patent pool, companies allow their drugs to be produced generically in exchange for royalties, or a percentage of the revenue. This reduces the price of newer medications that are still under patent, making them more affordable for HIV-positive individuals in poorer nations.

The generic…