A global "patent pool" for AIDS drugs will be launched next year in a bid to slash…the cost of producing generic medicines for the developing world…the mechanism was given the green light at a board meeting in Geneva Monday...UNITAID will provide start-up funds…over the coming year, and has…held talks with…Gilead, Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Sequoia on signing up…Medecins Sans Frontieres welcomed "a decisive step to improve access to medicines in the developing world," but warned that success would depend on solid backing from drug firms…