INTEGRASE INHIBITORS ONLINE CONFERENCE PROVIDER

Term of reference for Integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) Online conference Provider

(Invitation to tender)

Background

The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) is a global coalition of PLHIV and community activists working to achieve universal access to optimal HIV, HCV and TB treatment of those in need. Formed in 2003 by a group of 125 HIV activists from 65 countries at a meeting in Cape Town, ITPC actively advocates for treatment access in eight regions across the globe. ITPC believes that the fight for treatment remains one of the most significant global social justice issues.

One of the key areas of ITPCru’s work is creation conditions for improvement of access to dolutegravir by promoting the use of TRIPS flexibilities in countries that are not covered by the voluntary ViiV Healthcare and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) license (which include Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia).

The proposed key tool is compulsory licensing; the possibility of using objections to patents is being considered. Raltegravir is also cited as one potential drug for patent opposition; it was specifically mentioned as one of the potential targets for compulsory licensing in the ITPCru report released in November 2019. Biktegravir (BIC) is being discussed as a potential replacement for dolutegravir (DTG) in countries not included in the DTG license but included in the BIC license (Belarus and Kazakhstan). However, the drug has a number of clinical features that need to be taken into account. In Russia, a combination with elvitegravir was recently registered and included in the List of Essential and Vital Medicines.

The full understanding of clinical and economic advantages and disadvantages of integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) is necessary to expand access to these medicine. In addition, this online conference will help to raise awareness about new drugs in general and gain more support among infectious disease specialists and patients in the Eurasian Economic Union countries.

Service Provider Scope of Work

ITPC wishes to engage a provider for organization of a regional online conference on the use of integrase inhibitors through Internet technologies and further dissemination of information and materials of the seminar among infectious disease specialists and patients in Eurasian Economic Union countries.

Approximate dates of the activity:

· In the April or May 2021 – preferable in the week 19-23 of April, 2021

Deliverables

Service Provider shall: To conduct two-days conference on usage of integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) in Eastern Europe And Central Asian countries for infectious disease doctors, representatives of patient organizations, activists working in the field of access to HIV treatment from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine in April – May 2021.

Qualification/Eligibility Requirements to Provider:

· Minimum 5 years of operation in the area of public health with specific on HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis and other socially meaningful diseases in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian region.

· To have expertise in Internet technologies in medicine and have technical platforms for administration of the online events.

· To have access to current international guidelines, researches and recommendations for the use of integrase inhibitors (EACS, WHO).

· To be recognizable and have connection with scientific society on the global level.

Requirements to the conference:

· The two-day online conference should provide maximum 2 sessions of 1.5 hours per day with the involvement of participants from the target countries.

· It has to provide participation of representatives of federal / republican AIDS Centers, large regional AIDS Centers and infectious diseases hospitals (for example, from Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, large cities of target countries). The presence and participation of representatives from ministries of health is discussed on a case-by-case basis.

· It should present expert speakers and WHO representatives.

· It has to include review of current international guidelines for the use of integrase inhibitors (EACS, WHO); national guidelines for the use of integrase inhibitors; recent data on DTG use in pregnant women, as well as CNS effects and weight gain; comparative clinical analysis of dolutegravir, elvitegravir, bictegravir and raltegravir; review of the availability of integrase inhibitors in the EECA region and opportunities for its improvement. Economic aspect

Selection method

Quality and Cost-Based Selection method shall be used to determine the winner. The winner will be selected based on its compliance with the stated requirements, proven experience/qualification and a competitive budget.

Compensation

Service provider payment will be determined based on the results of the contest.

Instructions to Tenderers

Tenderers shall have the right to seek written clarifications on any aspect of the tender documents and receive responses from ITPC in good time before the deadline for submission of tenders, not less than 14 days prior to the deadline.