richmond, va. meadwestvaco corporation nyse mwv , a global leader in packaging and packaging solutions, has received a grant to provide its medication event monitoring system mems&trade to the bill & melinda gates foundation. the system is being used in the foundation&rsquos new demonstration projects on preexposure prophylaxis prep medications to help prevent the spread of hivaids in subsaharan africa and india. the four studies launched in october 2014.orally administered prep medications represent an important tool in the efforts to eradicate hivaids worldwide. these medications are given to highrisk but hivnegative people, and have been shown to prevent transmission of the virus when people are adherent to their medication program 1. mwv&rsquos mems system measures, monitors and improves adherence. it has previously been used in pivotal studies for hiv medications including gilead&rsquos truvada®, the first oral hiv medication the u.s. food and drug administration approved for prep.        &ldquoprep medications are transforming the way we approach the global hivaids battle, offering a promise of protection against this deadly virus,&rdquo said bernard vrijens, phd, chief science officer, mwv healthcare. &ldquohowever, this transformational intervention is only effective when people adhere to the prescribed dosing regimen. mwv healthcare is grateful for the opportunity to join with the gates foundation in this important research, helping to understand and increase adherence to these lifechanging medications.&rdquomwv healthcare&rsquos system utilizes its memscap&trade smart electronic medication packaging. the system tracks each time the medication bottle is opened, a proven corollary for measuring when a pill is taken. these data are wirelessly transferred to mwv healthcare&rsquos medamigo&trade platform, a secure, webbased program for data analysis and modeling.during the foundation&rsquos trials, mwv&rsquos scientific staff will analyze adherence data and provide trial coordinators with realtime feedback about each participant&rsquos adherence. when provided to participants, this realtime feedback at the point of care has been shown to be the most effective adherence intervention available 2. in recent draft guidance, the fda has recommended using smart medication packaging to measure and enhance adherence in clinical trials. 3mwv healthcare&rsquos mems system is cited in nearly 700 peerreviewed, published papers and has been used in nearly a thousand clinical trials, demonstrating the proven link between medication adherence and efficacy. mwv healthcare provides both electronic and nonelectronic adherence packaging in form factors including blisters, bottles and injectables to pharmaceutical companies worldwide, for use in both trials and clinical care. mwv&rsquos solutions are proven and scalable, both when used alone and also as a foundation for broader adherence programs.about mwvmeadwestvaco corporation nyse mwv is a global packaging company providing innovative solutions to the world&rsquos most admired brands in the healthcare, beauty and personal care, food, beverage, home and garden, and agricultural industries. the company also produces specialty chemicals for the automotive, energy, and infrastructure industries and maximizes the value of its development land holdings. mwv&rsquos network of 125 facilities and 16,000 employees spans north america, south america, europe and asia. learn more at mwv.com. 
