"Acyclovir Annual Price Cap for Some Patients, $2,500; Registration" Required

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

"Acyclovir Annual Price Cap for Some Patients, $2,500; Registration" Required

AIDS Treatment News (12/18/92) No. 165, P. 3
James, John S.

Abstract: Burroughs Wellcome Co. announced Dec. 7 that it will cap the price of acyclovir (Zovirax) for AIDS patients who pay for the drug themselves. Those people who use more than 730 grams (which costs about $2,500 wholesale) in a single calendar year will receive up to 730 grams additional at no cost for the remainder of the year. The new program begins January 1. Therefore, those who are using a continuous high-dose acyclovir and paying for their own medication should immediately register, through their physician or other health-care provider, so that their acyclovir use can be monitored and credited toward the cap. However, the program is only for patients who do not have third-party coverage for their acyclovir use. The cost of using acyclovir regularly at high doses can be $5,000 per year or more, creating financial difficulties or making the drug unavailable to patients for whom it was prescribed. AIDS activists from several organizations had negotiated with Burroughs Wellcome for ten months seeking a reduction in price. However, the company agreed to a price cap, said Dr. Andrew Zysman of ACT-UP/Golden Gate. Dr. Zysman said, "The cap, while a start, does not go far enough. A workable solution would be an annual cap of $2,000 per patient, which would continue to generate great profits, while making acyclovir more accessible." He added that many physicians in public health settings "are unable to suggest the use of acyclovir because it would bankrupt their clinic's budget; hence patients will not be able to benefit."

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