LONDON, 20 Februar: GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Wednesday it cut prices on HIV drugs to developing countries, marking the fifth discount since 1997.
The most significant reduction is an almost 40 per cent cut on Ziagen, a pill the World Health Organization recommends as a first- and second-line treatment, particularly for children. The average discount across its 14 not-for-profit HIV drugs was 21 per cent, the company said.
More than 33 million people are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, which is incurable and deadly. There is no vaccine, and drugs that help control the infection do not stop its spread and aren’t available to most people.
“These prices will take effect immediately for public-sector customers and not-for-profit organizations in the least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa” as well as other eligible countries, the company said.
The decision comes after Thailand stunned drug makers in late 2006 when it overrode the patent on Merck & Co.s AIDS drug Efavirenz, arguing it could not afford patented drugs for its national health-care plan.
Kilde: The Push Journal
