ViiV, Botswana announce tender agreement

ViiV Healthcare announced this week that it has reached a public tender agreement with the Botswana Ministry of Health to implement a "Treat All" program for HIV patients.

“This tender agreement is a great moment as part of our commitment to accelerating access to our treatments in Africa,” CEO of ViiV Healthcare Dominique Limet said. “It will allow people living with HIV in Botswana to have access to dolutegravir as part of a national test and treat initiative, locally referred to as the ‘Treat All’ program. It is even more of an achievement for us as it happens less than three years after the product was first approved and less than one year after it was included in the WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines.”

This is the largest tender secured by ViiV Healthcare within the African sub-continent, which has been heavily impacted by HIV infections. The public tender will allow dolutegravir to be used in the country. This medication would be distributed in 50 mg tablets. It was made possible through negotiations between the government of Botswana and the company.  

Dolutegravir is an integrase strand transfer inhibitor and is effective in combination with antiretroviral agents in order to manage HIV symptoms.