ViiV Healthcare acts to improve HIV medicines access in USA for those most in need

ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), will expand its Patient Assistance Program effective January 1, 2011, and continue its Patient Savings Card program to help maintain access to HIV medicines for those most affected by the economic downturn in the USA.

Specifically, it will launch the ViiV Healthcare Patient Assistance Program with an increased maximum household income level for enrollment and is piloting membership in the Welvista program, a non-profit program to facilitate access to HIV medications for individuals currently on ADAP waiting lists. Additionally, ViiV will extend its Patient Savings Card program for another two years.

Together the patient assistance program and pilot program with Welvista will help maintain access to critical HIV medicines for low-income patients who have now lost access due to changes in ADAP eligibility criteria and ease the difficulty for low-income patients of navigating multiple patient assistance programs. In addition, the extension of the Patient Savings Card program will make it easier for other patients to remain adherent to their prescribed medicines by reducing their out-of-pocket expenses to fill and refill their prescriptions for medicines offered by ViiV.