Zoom
Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. SAST-CET (8 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. BRT, 3 p.m. EAT, 5.30 p.m. IST)
Therapeutic antibodies, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), are a cornerstone in treating and preventing various diseases in high-income countries. In addition to life-saving mAbs for cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, new mAbs have been developed for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and are in development for malaria and HIV prevention. To achieve equitable access to mAbs in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), barriers such as high prices, complex manufacturing processes, intellectual property, and regulatory challenges must be overcome. National and transnational access advocacy coalitions—working across diseases—can help ensure the affordability, suitability, and adaptability of all mAbs on the WHO Essential Medicines List, as well as the promising pipeline mAbs for preventing HIV and malaria.
During the webinar, expert panelists will discuss:
- The role of antibodies as part of the immune system
- Benefits of therapeutic antibodies
- The mAbs landscape for infectious and noncommunicable diseases
- Unitaid’s strategy to enable access to affordable mAbs in LMICs
- Prices of key mAbs and other access barriers
- Strategies to reduce the cost of manufacturing of mAbs
- Strategies to address intellectual property barriers
- Regulatory pathways for mAbs
- Options for an advocacy framework
Speakers:
- Dr. Gaudensia Mutua, Medical Director, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
- Carmen Pérez Casas, Senior Strategy Manager & PPPR Head, Unitaid
- Achal Prabhala, Coordinator, Access IBSA
- Sharonann Lynch, Co-Director, Center for Global Health Policy & Politics, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law
- Patricia Asero Ochieng, Team Leader, Dandora Community AIDS Support Association (DACASA)
Moderated by: Lynette Mabote, Board Member, NGO Delegation to the Unitaid Board