WOZA (Johannesburg)
Marjolein Harvey
23 March 2001
Johannesburg — Indian generic drug manufacturer Cipla, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNAIDS, the European Commission and Medicines sans Frontieres (MSF) met in Geneva on Thursday to discuss Cipla's recent offer to reduce prices of triple combination HIV therapy for developing countries.
"The WHO and UNAIDS welcome the commitment of pharmaceutical companies to improving people's access to HIV treatment," WHO said in a statement on Monday.
The meeting follows Cipla's announcement last month that it wants to work with MSF to bring HIV-related medicines at affordable prices to people in developing countries who need them.
Issues discussed on Thursday included pre-qualification, registration requirements, supply logistics, technology transfer and validity of patents.
WHO and UNAIDS noted that an overall framework to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other serious infectious diseases in poor countries is a priority.
"This framework must encompass prevention, care, treatment and healthcare systems development. Moreover, ensuring that antiretroviral and other AIDS drugs reach those who need them and are used effectively means that questions of financing and clinical feasibility will also have to be addressed," says the WHO.
The information supplied by Cipla on Thursday will be evaluated to see how Cipla's offer can be included in the information that the UN makes available to interested governments and non-governmental organisations through its Accelerating Access Initiative (AAI).
The AAI goes far beyond drug provision, although access to drugs is often highlighted in the media, because it is an important social mobilisation issue.
"With 95% of the world's 34.3 million HIV-infected people living in developing countries, better and faster access to care is essential," the Initiative explains on its website.
Although there is no cure for AIDS, medical care in industrialised countries is significantly extending the lives of people living with HIV. The AAI says the challenge now is to improve access to care, including treatments for opportunistic infections and antiretroviral therapy, in the hardest-hit regions of the world.
AAI represents a redoubling of efforts by UNAIDS to assist countries in implementing comprehensive packages of care for their citizens living with HIV/AIDS.
It includes UNAIDS' advocacy and policy guidance on HIV care at the global level and also involves "fast track" support for those developing countries who have formally indicated that they wish to significantly expand access to HIV care, support and treatment, and who want assistance from UNAIDS.
At the same time, UNAIDS will continue to advocate for a basic package of care (including voluntary counselling and testing and psycho-social support) to be provided to all countries.
"The approach of the UNAIDS Cosponsors and the Secretariat is to help countries identify all legitimate suppliers of affordable medicines of assured quality, including those in both the generics industry and the research and development-based industry," UNAIDS said in a statement on Thursday.
The UN has identified, through a public call for Expressions of Interest to manufacturers of HIV-related pharmaceuticals and diagnostic equipment, 34 suppliers of HIV-related medicines and diagnostics, 29 of which are from the generics industry.
An analysis of these offers will be made publicly available in mid-2001. Cipla's offer will be included in this analysis.
South Africa has more people living with HIV/AIDS than any other country in the world, the United Nations said on Thursday. The bleak assessment came after Pretoria released data earlier this week that showed 4.7 million South Africans, or one in nine of the population, were living with the deadly disease.
Despite this, 39 multinational pharmaceutical companies have taken government to court in a dispute over a Medicines Act of 1997 which pharmaceutical companies feel gives excess power to the health minister to override patent rights.
AIDS activists locally and abroad have accused drug companies for putting profits before people.
The court case was recently postponed until April 18.
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