Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - Friday November 30, 2001
The discount on 3TC (lamivudine) and Combivir, a combination of lamivudine and zidovudine, was announced to mark World AIDS Day this Saturday, in a country where five million people are estimated to be living with the deadly disease. Under GSK's latest price offer, a month's treatment of Combivir would fall to 800 rand ($77.22) from 1,000 rand.
The price of the leading AZT treatment will remain unchanged at around 650 rand for a month's treatment.
"We sincerely believe that our HIV-AIDS medicines will be more accessible to a greater number of people," said John Kearney, chief executive officer of GSK South Africa.
The price reduction is the latest in a series of offers by the world's biggest drug firms in an attempt to make AIDS drugs more affordable in Africa, where more than 28 million people are living with the disease.
Despite the fall in the price of several AIDS drugs they still remain beyond the reach of most African governments and people in the world's poorest continent. GSK's offer is also limited to the country's private sector and is aimed at those who could benefit from lower prices under existing medical plans.
The vast majority of South Africans living with the disease cannot afford medical plans or medicines.
The South African government has refused to distribute antiretrovirals in the public health system on cost grounds despite offers of reduced prices by several drug firms.
President Thabo Mbeki has also questioned the efficacy of antiretrovirals while the health department has said it does not have the necessary infrastructure in place to properly dispense and monitor the use of key AIDS drugs.
GSK last month handed over the rights to the two drugs and its leading AZT treatment in South Africa to a local generic drug firm in an attempt to defuse a continuing controversy over access to treatment.
But the move has so far failed to take off, with no sign of a deal between generic producer Aspen and the health department.
Earlier this month, the World Trade Organisation reached an agreement in Qatar that would allow poor nations suffering from pandemics like AIDS and malaria to get better access to cheap drugs by allowing them to skirt traditional patent rules.
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