AFRO-NETS> Clinton Secures AIDS Drugs Deal

[Claudio Schuftan <aviva@netnam.vn>]

Clinton Secures AIDS Drugs Deal
-------------------------------
 
If this information is confirmed it will mean that the tri ARV 
therapy will cost only around US$ 135 a year for the drugs only. 
So far the cheapest cost for drugs was from Thailand production 
with US$ 1 a day. The lesson is even generic companies are able 
to decrease their price, what about the international companies? 
 
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CLINTON SECURES AIDS DRUGS DEAL 
24.10.2003. 08:44:59 
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=71439&region=4
 
Former United States President Bill Clinton has announced a deal 
with four generic-drug companies to slash the price of AIDS 
drugs in parts of the developing world. The agreement with three 
Indian pharmaceutical firms and a South African company will cut 
the price of a commonly used triple-drug treatment by almost a 
third, to about US$ 0.38 a day per patient.
 
The same regime using patented drugs currently costs around US$ 
1.54, and US$ 0.55 for generic drugs.
 
The deal was brokered by the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initia-
tive, which worked extensively with the four firms. It ensures 
the delivery of cheaper drugs to countries where the foundation 
is working with governments and organisations to set up care, 
treatment and prevention programs.
 
They include nine countries in the Caribbean and the African na-
tions of Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.
 
The foundation estimates that up to six million people living 
with AIDS worldwide currently need treatment to save their 
lives. That number is expected to rise substantially, with more 
than 40 million others infected with HIV.
 
However only 300,000 people in the developing world are receiv-
ing anti-retroviral drugs, more than one third of them in Bra-
zil.
 
Of the four million AIDS sufferers in sub-Sahran Africa, only 
50,000 are receiving the required treatment.
 
SOURCE: World News

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