Student Stop AIDS Campaigners from Dundee University joined international AIDS activists on 3rd October to stage bikini and board short clad protests across Dundee campus to demand Johnson & Johnson, maker of the famous ‘no more tears’ baby products, changes its mind and joins negotiations with the Medicines Patent Pool to help get life-saving HIV medicines to the 10 million people still waiting for treatment around the world.

Johnson & Johnson make a number of vital HIV drugs most of which currently cost thousands of pounds a year in many developing countries, pricing them out of the reach of the poor people who need them.

By refusing to negotiate with the Patent Pool, campaigners say J&J are risking the success of an initiative which could help save the lives of millions of children and adults. To make their point they staged ‘Patent Pool Parties’, complete with beach balls and arm bands, across campus in Dundee, pleading with J&J to accept the invitation to join.

Becky Stout, a student at Dundee University said,

“After hearing from two incredible and inspirational speakers living with HIV, I am more motivated than ever to ensure that everyone in need of HIV treatment can access it.  I am so disappointed by Johnson & Johnson’s decision which flies in the face of their public image as a trustworthy friend of parents. By refusing the invitation to join talks with the Patent Pool they are closing the door on an initiative which could help countless parents and babies access their life-saving HIV drugs.”

The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is an innovative approach to tackling the barriers to affordable HIV medicines, creating a one-stop-shop which should make it easier for generic manufacturers to produce more affordable, more effective drugs. The MPP is already in negotiations with six pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline to reach agreement on their participation.

Mohammed Barry, an activist living with HIV from The Gambia, joined the student led pool party and called on the public to support the campaign by taking action at www.stopaidscampaign.org/poolparty:

“One of the problems in the past has been companies making small, tokenistic efforts to ease access to treatment. The Medicines Patent Pool is a solution which aims to be industry-wide, matching the scale of the challenge.”

“With so many millions waiting for HIV treatment the Student Stop AIDS Campaign will keep pressuring J&J to join until they change their mind. We urge Johnson & Johnson to live by their motto and help ensure there are ‘no more tears’ for the children waiting for HIV treatment.”

Image by Aaron Gao