Firm slashes Aids drug prices
2003-04-28 21:39
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned governments against using the economic crisis as an excuse to cut funding for fighting Aids.
Gerjo Hoffman
Cape Town - South African Aids patients have been given new hope by pharmaceutical giant GlazoSmithKline announcing that it will cut the price of some antiretrovirals by nearly 50%.
The British pharmaceutical company announced on Monday that it would cut the price of HIV/Aids medicines for non-profit organisations in the world's poorest countries by as much as 48%.
The offer is available to certain customers in 63 developing countries, including all the countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Paul Roux, head of Groote Schuur Hospital's paediatric Aids unit, said the gesture would allow more patients to be treated at the hospital.
"We have funds to treat 175 children and 60 mothers. With the funds available, the (GSK) offer will allow us to expand this to about 220 children and 90 mothers."
GlaxoSmithKline said it would cut the price of Comabivir by 47%, Epiver (3TC) by 45% to R76 a month and Retrovir (AZT) by 38% to R163 a month.
Jean-Pieere Garnier, chief executive of GSK, said: "Our price reduction demonstrates our commitment to making life-saving medicine more affordable through sustainable preferential pricing."
'Offer not wide enough'
Appropriate customers include governments, non-governmental organisations, aid agencies, United Nations agencies and international funds such as the World Fund against HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria.
The offer is also available to employers who provide HIV/Aids treatment to employees who do not have medical aids.
The decision comes after heightened demands by pressure groups and stakeholders for the world's pharmaceutical giants to reconsider their policy on Aids medicines.
Nathan Geffen of Treatment Action Campaign said on Monday the offer was not wide enough as it excluded a large part of the private sector.
"It is a positive step that the reduced price would be available to those companies that provide treatment for employees without medical aids."
Most South Africans, however, had access to antiretrovirals only through pharmacies and doctors and these people were being excluded from the deal, said Geffen.
Sandy Kalyan, Democratic Alliance health spokesperson, welcomed the GlaxoSmithKline announcement and called on their competitors to follow suit.
"How is it possible that the government is still continuing its arguments against making antiretroviral treatment available?" she asked.
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