History and Accomplishments of the Inter-Company Collaboration for AIDS Drug Development

Abstract

In April 1993, 15 pharmaceutical organizations came together to work against a common enemy—HIV. The group they formed was called the Inter-Company Collaboration for AIDS Drug Development (ICC). The treatments for HIV infection available at the time were unsatisfactory, despite the fact that several antiretroviral drugs had been approved and others were in development. Moreover, there was growing acknowledgment in the scientific community that multiple drugs in combination would be needed to suppress HIV. To expedite the HIV drug development process, the major companies involved in HIV antiviral research chose to collaborate to facilitate studies of their HIV antiviral drugs, especially those still in the pipeline and not yet approved by regulatory agencies in novel combinations. The ICC served as an invaluable forum for exchanging clinical data, spurring independent collaborations among member companies, and giving the industry an opportunity to interact with important outside groups involved in AIDS drug development. It has also consistently worked to expedite the development of effective AIDS drugs so that they are available as soon as possible to both physicians and patients. This article discusses the role of the ICC in HIV drug research and development during the ICC's first five years as well as what lies ahead for the organization during its second five-year term.