USA Ups HIV Royalties To Institut Pasteur

The US National Institutes of Health has agreed to increase the royalty payments to the Institute Pasteur in France relating to sales of HIV testing kits. The decision marks the first time that the US government has acknowledged the fact that NIH researcher Robert Gallo used a virus from Institut Pasteur when he developed a blood test for the virus.

Under the new agreement, the NIH and Pasteur will keep the first 20% of royalties from the kit. Of the remaining royalties, 50% will go to Pasteur, 25% will go to the NIH and the remaining 25% will go to the World AIDS Foundation.