LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - ViiV Healthcare, the

HIV-focused joint venture majority owned by GSK, said on

Monday it has expanded its licensing deal with the Medicines

Patent Pool to allow generic production of its long-acting

injectable HIV treatment cabotegravir.

The updated licence, which builds on an earlier agreement

covering cabotegravir for HIV prevention, will enable three

generic drugmakers to develop and supply the treatment for use

in combination with Johnson & Johnson's ( JNJ ) rilpivirine in

133 countries, including all low-income, lower-middle income,

and Sub-Saharan African nations.

ViiV's regimen -- the only approved long-acting injectable

treatment for HIV -- is administered once every one or two

months, an alternative to daily pills. The World Health

Organization last week recommended long-acting cabotegravir and

rilpivirine as a treatment option for people who are

virologically suppressed but struggle with adherence to oral

regimens.

The new licence also builds on an existing Medicines Patent

Pool agreement covering cabotegravir for pre-exposure

prophylaxis (PrEP), signed in 2022.

The existing licensees -- Aurobindo, Cipla

and Viatris ( VTRS ) -- will now be able to develop

and manufacture generic versions of the long-acting treatment,

subject to regulatory approvals.

"As leaders in long-acting innovation we're proud to be

expanding our voluntary licence to include treatment," said ViiV

CEO Deborah Waterhouse. "We're committed to working with

partners like MPP to increase access and reach those most

impacted by HIV."

The announcement comes after Gilead Sciences ( GILD ) and

the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria last

week finalised a separate deal to supply long-acting HIV

prevention drug, lenacapavir, to low-income countries at cost --

part of a push to expand access to innovative HIV medicines in

the Global South.

ViiV is majority-owned by GSK, with Pfizer ( PFE ) and

Shionogi ( SGIOF ) as shareholders.