The 90–70–90 targets for 2030 have been endorsed: 90% of girls fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15; 70% of women screened with a high-performance test (at ages 35 and 45); and 90% of women with pre-cancer and 90% of women with invasive cancer receiving timely treatment.

ITPC EECA and the Eurasian Community for Access to Treatment (ECAT) reaffirm their commitment to the 90–70–90 targets and view access to cervical cancer prevention and treatment as a matter of human rights and health-system sustainability across the EECA region.

Since 2025, we have been working to analyze the market for HPV prevention vaccines and medicines used in cervical cancer treatment in order to identify key access barriers and outline practical steps to address them. These barriers include high prices and patent monopolies, as well as the need for product registration and inclusion in national immunization and oncology care programs.

As part of this work, we have already assessed the patent status of a number of vaccines and medicines in several EECA countries. In 2026, together with colleagues from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, we plan to continue this effort and move toward systematic monitoring covering prices, procurement volumes, registration status, and other key parameters that determine real-world access to prevention and treatment.

We also plan to engage in dialogue with vaccine and medicine manufacturers through ECAT. Meetings and consultations are already scheduled for 2026 to discuss access conditions, barriers, and regional solutions. This dialogue builds on prior engagement by community representatives in global initiatives, such as World CAB 2025.

We believe the 90–70–90 target is achievable for the EECA region, and we have tools that work: vaccination, effective screening, and treatment. Our task is to ensure that these tools are accessible to everyone who needs them across EECA countries.

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According to experts, new TB vaccines could be developed as early as 2028, and in this context civil society needs to prepare in advance. We would like to emphasize that simultaneous interpretation into Russian will be provided during the event, making the webinar especially useful for colleagues and organizations working in the EECA region. We hope the webinar will help NGOs and CSOs properly prepare for the rollout of a new TB vaccine once it becomes available.

The event will feature TAG’s report “What Could Go Right? Vital Partnerships with Communities and Civil Society for New Tuberculosis Vaccines,” which brings together findings from three studies and highlights how communities and civil society can play a key role in the successful introduction of a new TB vaccine—from advocacy to participation in policymaking at national, regional, and global levels.

The agenda includes the following presentations:

• results of a global survey of community and civil society organizations on their readiness to engage in TB vaccine policymaking;

• country portraits—documents compiling information on how immunization decisions are made in each country (Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malawi, Mongolia, South Africa, Vietnam);

• an access roadmap outlining actions civil society can take to ensure equitable access to new vaccines.

The webinar will be moderated by Mike Frick (TB Project Co-Director, TAG). Speakers include Erin McConnell (TAG), Edna Tembo (Executive Director, COWHLA), and Sergey Golovin (Independent Consultant on Access to Treatment, ITPC EECA).

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The report analyses barriers and market dynamics surrounding promising TB vaccines for adolescents and adults and proposes concrete mechanisms for their financing and equitable allocation. The authors clearly show that in the coming decades demand for new TB vaccines will significantly outstrip supply. According to WHO estimates, between 2030 and 2040 global demand could exceed 3 billion vaccination courses, with countries bearing the highest TB burden accounting for most of this demand. A supply shortfall in the first years after vaccine approval is already anticipated, while procurement alone (excluding delivery and health system strengthening costs) is expected to require 5–8 billion US dollars.

Based on this analysis, WHO formulates six key solutions to ensure equitable access to future vaccines:

• the use of global financing and market-shaping instruments (advance purchase commitments, volume guarantees) to incentivize manufacturers to expand capacity and reduce prices;

• early preparation of country-level needs: demand forecasts, cost-effectiveness and budget impact assessments to support the introduction of vaccines into national programmes;

• clear definition of roles and financial responsibilities: which resources can be mobilized domestically and which will need to come from external and donor funding;

• creation of a standing platform to coordinate supply and demand, bringing together countries, donors and manufacturers to align timelines for production, financing and vaccine rollout;

• improving transparency of non-proprietary information on products and supply to facilitate national planning;

• promoting technology transfer and licensing to at least one manufacturer in each high-burden region in order to strengthen regional manufacturing capacity.

A separate section of the report is devoted to modelling the potential impact of introducing new vaccines. If a vaccine with 50% efficacy in preventing TB among adolescents and adults is approved and rapidly scaled up, up to 76 million cases of disease and 8.5 million deaths could be averted over 25 years, and up to 42 billion US dollars could be saved.

WHO stresses that the development of national strategies for financing and access must begin well before vaccines are licensed, so that countries with a high TB burden can secure rapid and equitable access as soon as the products reach the market.

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The plan defines key areas of joint work: regulation of medicines and medical devices; prevention of unsafe food products entering the market; prevention and control of infectious and noncommunicable diseases; and tackling antimicrobial resistance.

A separate track focuses on digital health, including the development of interoperable information systems, data exchange, and the rollout of services that improve access to modern medical technologies and care.

According to the EEC, the partnership with WHO/Europe strengthens expert dialogue and will help not only preserve progress achieved to date but also take cooperation to a new level.

Following signature, the document will be detailed in working plans and project roadmaps for each area, with implementation scheduled for 2026–2028.

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Brelovitug is an IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).By binding to HBsAg, it blocks the spread of hepatitis B and hepatitis D viruses and helps reduce circulating antigen levels in patients. In January 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Brelovitug Breakthrough Therapy Designation, indicating that the therapy demonstrates substantial potential advantages over existing treatments.

Additionally, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) awarded Brelovitug PRIME (PRIority MEdicines) and Orphan Drug Designation, underscoring its importance for addressing rare and severe diseases.

AZURE-1 Study (NCT06907290)

• Type: International, randomized, open-label, Phase 2b/3.

• Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of Brelovitug compared with delayed treatment in adults with chronic HDV infection.

• Estimated enrollment: ~150 participants.

• Start date: March 2025.

• Estimated completion: June 2028.

• Participating countries: United States, Bulgaria, Georgia, Israel, Ukraine, Moldova.

Design:

Participants are randomized into three groups: two receive Brelovitug in different dosing regimens (once weekly or once every four weeks), while the third group undergoes 24 weeks of delayed treatment before starting active therapy.

The primary endpoint is achieving a combined response — undetectable HDV RNA and normalization of ALT levels.

AZURE-2 Study (NCT07200908)

• Type: International, randomized, Phase 3.

• Objective: Direct comparison of Brelovitug versus Bulevirtide (Hepcludex®), currently the only approved therapy for hepatitis D in Europe.

• Estimated enrollment: ~172 participants.

• Start date: September–October 2025.

• Participating regions: European clinical sites (full list pending).

Design:

Participants are randomized in a 3:1 ratio.

One group receives Brelovitug 300 mg weekly for 96 weeks, while the comparator group receives Bulevirtide 2 mg daily for 48 weeks, followed by a switch to Brelovitug for another 48 weeks.

The primary endpoint is a combined virologic and biochemical response at week 48 — undetectable HDV RNA and ALT normalization. Preliminary data from earlier clinical stages suggest that Brelovitug demonstrates a high rate of virologic response and a favorable safety profile. If the ongoing studies confirm these findings, Brelovitug could become the first alternative therapy for HDV infection after Bulevirtide, expanding treatment options for patients with this severe form of viral hepatitis.

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The meeting was held in the context of ongoing EU pharmaceutical law reforms and the preparation of the Critical Medicines Act — initiatives aimed at improving access to essential medicines across the region.

Although tuberculosis (TB) is both preventable and curable, patients in many European countries continue to face barriers to accessing modern medicines for TB treatment and prevention. In EU member states where TB is less common, the rollout of updated WHO guidelines and newer medicines remains slow, while prices stay prohibitively high. According to MSF’s latest technical report, high costs, regulatory hurdles, and a lack of coordination between countries severely restrict access to treatment.

One of the central topics discussed was access to key TB medicines — bedaquiline (Johnson & Johnson) and pretomanid (Viatris). It was revealed that Johnson & Johnson declined to participate in joint procurement negotiations with the European Commission for bedaquiline, while talks with Viatris on pretomanid are ongoing.

Both medicines are recommended by WHO for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis, but according to MSF, the cost of a six-month course of bedaquiline in the EU ranges from €20,000 to €25,000, making it unaffordable for many patients.

Johnson & Johnson stated that the medicine is “available through standard local channels,” but civil society representatives disagreed with this claim.

Denis Godlevskiy, Regional Coordinator at ITPC EECA, noted that there are “definitely problems with access to bedaquiline” in Europe: “The fact that doctors can prescribe the medicine does not mean that all patients who need it can actually obtain it. In many EU countries, access to bedaquiline is restricted by insurance schemes.”

According to Jaime Manzano from the Spanish health NGO Salud por Derecho, the prices paid by EU countries are “artificially inflated” and do not reflect the real cost of production.

Participants emphasized that without political will and transparent pricing mechanisms, access to essential medicines in Europe will remain unequal. “Europe must lead not only in developing innovations, but also in ensuring equal access to them,” said Dr. Marc Biot, MSF Regional Coordinator for Europe and the Middle East, in his closing remarks.

The post Barriers to Accessing Tuberculosis Medicines in Europe: Meeting in Brussels first appeared on ITPCru.

This meeting built on the previous year’s workshop, where partners came together to define key principles for ensuring access to health technologies. In 2024, the discussions were more conceptual: participants worked to align on approaches and began developing Target Access Profiles (TAPs) — strategic frameworks for access to medical products.

This year, the focus shifted toward practice: participants began developing concrete Access Roadmaps for three product categories:

• Long-acting formulations (including for HIV and TB),

• Near point-of-care diagnostics,

• Medical oxygen.

Key goals of the workshop included:

• Testing and refining the methodology for access planning.

• Defining the roles of different stakeholders (governments, donors, manufacturers, communities) across the product lifecycle — from development to scale-up.

• Aligning on approaches that allow access conditions (e.g. pricing, licensing, technology transfer, regulatory pathways) to be embedded as early as the clinical trial design stage.

Denis Godlevskiy, Regional Coordinator of ITPC EECA, participated in the working group on long-acting formulations and emphasized: “The goal of the workshop was to understand what principles must be embedded already at the design and development stages of clinical research — so that we don’t end up facing artificial access barriers later. Without systemic investment in health infrastructure, no rollout will be sustainable. We also need long-term support for communities, especially for community-led monitoring (CLM) initiatives, because many NGOs and community groups in the region are now fighting for survival instead of leading meaningful advocacy and service delivery. If partners focus only on products and ignore people, these technologies will simply gather dust in empty clinics.”

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The event is organized by the Global TB Caucus, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Scientific Center of Phthisiopulmonology of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, the Global Fund’s TB grant in Kazakhstan for 2023–2025, and the Kazakhstan Association of Phthisiopulmonologists.

The conference brings together representatives of parliaments from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, ministers of health, international experts, including representatives of the World Health Organization, the Global Fund, the Stop TB Partnership, leading researchers, and community activists affected by tuberculosis.

The program includes a parliamentary summit and plenary sessions devoted to the implementation of the UN High-Level Declaration on TB, strengthening regional political leadership, and developing mechanisms for sustainable financing of TB control activities. Participants plan to discuss global and regional challenges on the way to ending the TB epidemic, new approaches in diagnosis and treatment, including the introduction of digital technologies and innovations, as well as issues of co-infections (TB/HIV, TB/viral hepatitis).

Particular attention is given to advancing a patient-centered approach and expanding the role of civil society in the TB response. Within the framework of working groups, practical examples will be reviewed on screening, preventive treatment, and the integration of TB services into primary health care systems.

The post International Scientific and Practical Conference “Central Asia Free of Tuberculosis: From National Successes to Regional Leadership” first appeared on ITPCru.

The agreement includes financial, technical, and regulatory support for Dr. Reddy’s to accelerate the production of a high-quality generic version of lenacapavir.

As part of a broader strategy to build a sustainable and competitive market for injectable PrEP, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also joined the initiative. The foundation has signed a separate agreement with another licensed manufacturer, Hetero, to further ensure affordable pricing, reliable supply, and global scalability.

In October 2024, Gilead granted voluntary licenses to six generic manufacturers, including Dr. Reddy’s, for the supply of lenacapavir across the 120 LMICs. In addition, PEPFAR, the Global Fund, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) have already committed to procuring lenacapavir for up to 2 million people in these countries.

Lenacapavir is an innovative PrEP option administered only twice a year. The drug has already been approved by the FDA and the European Commission, and in July 2025, it was included in the World Health Organization’s global HIV prevention guidelines.

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It is important to note that, at this stage, these are only proposals that require discussion and decision by Member States. The report itself is marked as preliminary and “subject to formal consideration.” As we understand it, the document does not suggest an immediate termination of UNAIDS, but rather a gradual phase-out of the joint programme by the end of 2026, with its functions to be transferred to “relevant” UN structures starting in 2027. In line with the broader reform package, the emphasis is on “mainstreaming” technical expertise and avoiding duplication through knowledge hubs and a clearer division of labor among agencies.

We would like to remind that, according to the latest UNAIDS data, the EECA region continues to see a rise in new HIV infections, with the sharpest increases among key populations. Our region remains the only one in the world where the epidemic is still growing. For countries in our region, the disappearance of UNAIDS could prove catastrophic.

From our side, we will soon initiate an appeal, as we do not agree with the proposed reforms and restructuring. We are also ready to join initiatives from our colleagues in the region and support collective action.

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