ViiV Healthcare explained

ViiV Healthcare
Location:	London, England, UK
Area Served:	Worldwide
Key People:	Deborah Waterhouse (CEO)
Num Employees Year:	2023

ViiV Healthcare is a British multinational pharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of medicines to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. Its global headquarters is located in London. The company was created as a joint venture by GSK and Pfizer in November 2009, with both companies transferring their HIV assets to the new company.^[1] In 2012, Shionogi joined the company. As of December 2023, 76.5% of the company is owned by GSK, 13.5% by Pfizer and 10% by Shionogi.^[2] According to The Financial Times, the company's co-ownership structure may change depending on the achievement of certain milestones.

ViiV Healthcare's products have a market share of approximately 32% of the global HIV therapy market, making it the second-largest healthcare company in the sector, after Gilead Sciences.^[3]

ViiV Healthcare's global headquarters are in Brentford, Greater London in the United Kingdom, and the company has sites in a number of other countries including the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain and Switzerland.^[4]

Products

The company markets 17 products:^[5]

• Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs):
  • abacavir (brand name Ziagen)
  • lamivudine (brand names Epivir and 3TC)
  • zidovudine (brand name Retrovir and AZT)
• Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs):
  • delavirdine (brand name Rescriptor, no longer available^[6])
• Attachment inhibitors
  • fostemsavir (brand name Rukobia)
• Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs):
  • dolutegravir (brand name Tivicay)
  • cabotegravir (brand names Apretude [as a single agent indicated for [[Pre-exposure prophylaxis|PrEP]]]; and Vocabria/Cabenuva [when co-administered with [[rilpivirine]] for HIV treatment – in partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals])
• Protease inhibitors:
  • fosamprenavir (brand names Lexiva and Telzir)
  • nelfinavir (brand name Viracept)
• Entry inhibitors:
  • maraviroc (brand names Selzentry and Celsentri)
• Antiretroviral fixed-dose combinations, including several single-pill regimens:
  • abacavir/lamivudine (brand names Epzicom and Kivexa)
  • abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine (brand name Trizivir)
  • lamivudine/zidovudine (brand name Combivir)
  • abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine (brand name Triumeq)
  • dolutegravir/lamivudine (brand name Dovato)
  • dolutegravir/rilpivirine (brand name Juluca – in partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals)

Treatment access programs

ViiV Healthcare has stated that it will continue the not-for-profit pricing schemes that Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline had been involved in prior to the setting up of the company. This program covers all low- and middle-income countries, as well as all of Sub-Saharan Africa.^[7]

The company has also granted voluntary licenses to 14 generics companies to enable the low-cost manufacture and sale of generic versions of the company's products in specific countries and/or regions.^{[7] [8]}

In March 2020, ViiV Healthcare announced the initiation of a study in partnership with University of South Carolina's Ryan White Program to determine the effectiveness of ride-sharing services in improving access to care for people living with HIV.^[9]

See also

• Pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom
• List of pharmaceutical companies

Notes and References

1. Jacks, Andrew "GSK and Pfizer to Merge HIV Portfolios Financial Times. 16 April 2010
2. Web site: Shionogi and ViiV Healthcare Announce New Agreement to Commercialise and Develop Integrase Inhibitor Portfolio . viivhealthcare.com . 7 March 2014.
3. Web site: ViiV vows joint venture will help fight HIV . 2023-11-03 . Financial Times. London.
4. http://www.viivhealthcare.com/about-us/locations.aspx "ViiV Healthcare Company Website. About Us – Locations"
5. Web site: Our HIV medicines. 2022-03-10.
6. Web site: Generic Rescriptor Availability. Drugs.com. 2022-03-10.
7. https://www.viivhealthcare.com/what-we-do/we-improve-access-to-our-medicines.aspx "ViiV Healthcare Company Website. We Improve Access to Our Medicines"
8. Reuters "Glaxo, Pfizer JV Opens HIV Pipeline to Generic Companies" Africa – the Good News. 19 July 2010
9. Web site: ViiV Healthcare initiates study with the University of South Carolina to evaluate the benefits of ride-sharing services on improving access to care for people living with HIV. Olean Times Herald. 2020-03-03.