Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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The Guardian (London) (12.14.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Sarah Boseley
Public pressure has helped force drug companies to lower the cost of basic, first-line drugs AIDS drugs, and the generics industry has driven prices even lower. But the virus' ability to become resistant to old drugs necessitates the discovery of new ones, which tend to be very expensive and hard to copy. Doctors Without Borders says that while the annual cost of the basic three-drug cocktail it uses in South Africa is now $194 per person, second-line therapy can cost $1,661 annually per patient.
"Resistance to first-line antiretrovirals is inevitable," Thomas will say. "Second-line ARVs can cost more than 10 times first-line treatment. [We] will continue to push pharmaceutical companies to help reduce these costs and to promote the idea of differential pricing for developing countries so it is the norm for essential medicines to be cheaper in these countries."
The UK will help developing nations navigate the World Trade Organization's provisions for importing generic drugs, Thomas will say, noting as well that "there are not enough appropriate formulations of ARVs for children."
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