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Research Triangle Park, N.C. -- ViiV Healthcare 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 United States. Specifically, ViiV Healthcare 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 nonprofit program to facilitate access to HIV medications for individuals currently on ADAP waiting lists. Additionally, ViiV Healthcare 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 Healthcare. "We recognize this is a time of increasing patient need and this demonstrates our commitment to continue addressing access issues in the United States," said Bill Collier, Head of North America, ViiV Healthcare. In communities hardest hit by HIV in the US, many patients do not access medicines early enough to fully benefit from them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early and widespread HIV treatment is emerging as a potential component of a comprehensive prevention approach. In addition, a recent study published in The Lancet, found that higher uptake of antiretroviral therapy might reduce HIV transmission considerably in some populations. [i] "The fear or belief that access to medicines may be interrupted, or that the access to HIV medicines is decreasing may prevent many persons struggling with an HIV diagnoses and its implications from seeking treatment. While we must continue our advocacy for increased federal and state funding for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, these efforts to increase access can help to remove this climate of fear that the meds aren't as available today," said Julie Scofield, Executive Director, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

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