ViiV Healthcare Calls for Initial Grant Proposals to the Positive Action for Children Fund

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Today ViiV Healthcare announced the inaugural request for grant proposals (RFPs) through the Positive Action for Children Fund. Over the next ten years, ViiV Healthcare will invest £50 million in the Fund to support programmes focused on preventing HIV transmission from mother-to-child, as well as the health and well being of women, orphans and vulnerable children around the globe.

"Supporting the most vulnerable populations is core to ViiV Healthcare's commitment to those affected by HIV and AIDS," said Dominique Limet, CEO of ViiV Healthcare. "Community-based programmes have long been critical to successful HIV prevention, care and treatment. Through the Positive Action for Children Fund, we are assisting community initiatives tackling the problem of mother-to-child HIV transmission in systemic and sustainable ways."

Following extensive consultations with some of the sector's leading non-governmental organisations, practitioners and policy-makers in this field, the Fund will be focused on grants that pursue the four elements of the World Health Organization's (WHO) strategic vision and comprehensive approach for addressing the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, under these four headings:

1. Increasing and improving primary prevention of HIV infection among women of childbearing age;
2. Delivering proper and equitable reproductive choices for people living with HIV/AIDS;
3. Interventions that prevent HIV transmission from a woman living with HIV to her infant; and
4. Improving the health and welfare of mothers living with HIV, their children and families by providing appropriate treatment, care and support.

ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action for Children Fund will have a targeted spending pattern; at least 80 percent will support projects focused on sub-Saharan Africa, while up to 20 percent may be dispersed to projects focused elsewhere. To qualify as a sub-Saharan African project, at least 85 percent of the project's budget must be spent in that region.

"After decades of research, it has become clear that the fight against HIV has only become more challenging," said Dominique Limet. "ViiV Healthcare was established as a global specialist HIV company to help concentrate expertise and innovation in the field. Through initiatives such as Positive Action, we bring the same motivation to our network of patient groups, advocates, and non-government organisations, supporting innovative community-based programmes focused on HIV prevention and care."

Focus of RFP1
This first Request for Proposals from the Positive Action for Children Fund is focused on the integration of HIV and sexual and reproductive health services leading to improved access to and continuity of services for men and women at risk of HIV or living with HIV. All projects should have a strong component of community involvement to ensure demand for these services is generated or increased. Project objectives should contribute to the enhancement and integration of services, specifically: primary HIV prevention; improved sexual health and prevention of unintended pregnancies.

Focus of RFP2
This second Request for Proposals from the Positive Action for Children Fund is focused on the support of infants, children and adolescents living with HIV and their families within their communities, promoting a family-centred approach. Projects may focus on one area of need for any subset of this age group or cover a number across the age range, including, but not restricted to: early infant diagnosis; nutrition; support around maintenance of and adherence to antiretroviral treatment; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health education, services and rights; stigma and discrimination.

Submitting a Proposal
Interested parties can receive detailed information about the proposal process and download an application form at http://www.viivhealthcare.com/access-and-community/positive-action/positive-action-for-children-fund/grant-criteria-and-application.aspx.

Questions about the grants should be directed to positiveactionforchildren@viivhealthcare.com. Questions will be publicly answered in the Q&A section of the grant website. Proposals must be received by midnight (GMT) on Friday 7th May 2010 for award consideration. Organisations that are awarded grants will be notified following the Board’s review in June 2010. Projects funded under these RFPs should commence before 30th November 2010. Programmes receiving the grant awards will be posted on the Positive Action web site and where possible learnings and insights gained from the projects will be broadly shared.

The Positive Action for Children Fund was first announced in July 2009 and builds upon the foundation of the long-standing Positive Action programme, established in 1992. With an emphasis on community engagement, ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action programme will continue to support global efforts to address the challenges of HIV prevention, tackling stigma and discrimination, building capacity and treatment literacy.

About ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK.L) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to deliver advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV. Our aim is to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any company has done before and then take a new approach to deliver effective and new HIV medicines as well as support communities affected by HIV.

GSK holds an 85 percent interest in the ViiV Healthcare and Pfizer holds 15 percent. GSK and Pfizer announced that they had agreed to form a new specialist HIV company on April 16, 2009. The transaction was completed on October 30, 2009. ViiV Healthcare launched on November 3, 2009.

For more information on the company, its management, portfolio, pipeline and commitment, please visit www.viivhealthcare.com.

Enquiries
UK Media enquiries: Philip Thomson, (020) 8047 5502; Claire Brough, (020) 8047 5502

US Media enquiries: Kevin Colgan, (919) 483 2839; Marc Meachem, (919) 483 2839

GSK European Analyst/Investor enquiries: David Mawdsley, (020) 8047 5564; Sally Ferguson, (020) 8047 5543; Gary Davies, (020) 8047 5503

GSK US Analyst/Investor enquiries: Tom Curry, (215) 751 5419; Jen Hill Baxter, (215) 751 7002

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
GlaxoSmithKline disclosure notice: Under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect GSK's operations are described under 'Risk Factors' in the 'Business Review' in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2009.

Pfizer disclosure notice: Pfizer assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information or future events or developments.

This release contains forward-looking information about Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and ViiV Healthcare and about the prospects of the companies, including revenues from in-line products and the potential benefits of product candidates that will be contributed to that company, as well as the potential financial impact of the transaction. Such information involves substantial risks and uncertainties including, among other things, decisions by regulatory authorities regarding whether and when to approve any drug applications that have been or may be filed for such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labeling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates; and competitive developments.

Trademarks
Brand names throughout this document are trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

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