In August 2021 – Medicines360, the mission-driven nonprofit Women’s Health pharmaceutical organization announced a price subsidy to expand contraceptive access for millions of women in some of the world’s poorest countries. When purchased from its subsidiary, Impact RH360, Avibela will be offered at the price of $9.50 through international procurement groups.
“We believe that women everywhere should have the right to choose from a broad mix of safe, effective, and affordable contraceptive methods,” said Chief Executive Officer Tina Raine-Bennett, MD, MPH. “As a purpose-driven organization, we are excited to be able to expand contraceptive access by offering a subsidized price for Avibela via international procurement group catalogs through 2024. Creating a price that works for the public sector reflects our ongoing efforts and those of our valued partners and customers to expand the availability of Avibela to the global community.”
The Guttmacher Institute estimates that over 218 million women[1] in low- and middle-income countries have an unmet need for contraception. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the health implications of such a large unmet need are profound. Every year, an estimated 74 million unintended pregnancies occur in developing regions, the great majority of which are among women using no contraception or a traditional method. Fully addressing all unmet needs could prevent the deaths of 70,000 women from pregnancy-related causes[2].
The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (hormonal IUD) is one of the most effective forms of contraception and offers important non-contraceptive health benefits. Historically however, it has not been widely available in developing countries, largely due to the high price of existing products; pushing it out of women’s financial reach. This subsidy aims to bring greater choice and access to millions of women in some of the world’s poorest regions.
The Avibela Project® was first launched to expand access to hormonal IUDs in developing countries. Through its subsidiary Impact RH360, Medicines360 makes its hormonal IUD available to NGOs and works together with them to support registration, provider training, and product launch. Impact RH360 is a wholly owned, non-profit subsidiary formed to focus on maximizing impact in low- and middle-income countries. Medicines360 is a member of the Hormonal IUD Access Group, a consortium made up of donors, researchers, service delivery organizations, and product suppliers with the goal of sharing learnings to facilitate the introduction of the hormonal IUD across the globe.
About Medicines360
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA Medicines360 is the first “nonprofit pharma” entity focused on Women’s Health in the U.S. and globally. Combining the rigor and expertise of a commercial pharmaceutical company with the pro-social ambitions of a nonprofit, Medicines360’s mission is to catalyze equitable access to medicines and devices for women everywhere. For more information, visit www.medicines360.org.
[1] https://www.guttmacher.org/report/adding-it-up-investing-in-sexual-reproductive-health-2019
[2] https://www.guttmacher.org/report/unmet-need-for-contraception-in-developing-countries
