Kaisernetwork.org (Washington, DC)
4 September 2008
Drug Access
Gilead's Antiretroviral Patent Request Rejected by Brazil
[Sep 04, 2008]
A patent request from the pharmaceutical company Gilead for its antiretroviral drug tenofovir was rejected by Brazil Wednesday, Reuters reports. After announcing the decision, a Ministry of Health spokesperson confirmed a statement from the Patent Office that the request was rejected on the grounds that it "lacked technological inventiveness," according to Reuters. The decision means that Brazil now could import less expensive, generic versions of tenofovir because of World Trade Organization regulations (Grudgings, Reuters, 9/3).
The health ministry in April issued a decree signaling that it might reject Gilead's patent request. The decree declared that the drug is "in the public interest," adding that patenting the drug in Brazil would generate "expectations of monopoly rights with an impact on the price of the product." According to the health ministry, tenofovir accounts for 10% of the government's spending on its HIV/AIDS treatment program. The government provides antiretrovirals at no cost to people living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil. This year, 31,300 people in Brazil are expected to be treated with tenofovir at a cost of $1,387 per person. The annual cost per person for the 180,000 people included in Brazil's HIV/AIDS program is about $2,500 worth of medicines each year (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/14).
According to Reuters, Medecins Sans Frontieres in a statement said that HIV/AIDS drug access will increase in Brazil and across the developing world because of the patent rejection. Tido von Schoen-Angerer of MSF's Access to Essential Medicines campaign said that increased access to tenofovir is "absolutely crucial" and that Brazilian production of antiretrovirals has helped to reduce costs in the past. He added that MSF hopes "this will happen again." According to von Schoen-Angerer, a World Health Organization-approved Indian-made generic version of tenofovir costs $158 per person annually, compared with the $1,378 Gilead charges in Brazil. Gilead did not comment immediately on the decision (Reuters, 9/3).
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Public Health & Education
Sexual Activities Other Than Intercourse Carry Risk of HIV, Other STIs, Study Finds
[Sep 04, 2008]
Sexual activities other than intercourse carry some risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, according to a report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published recently in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters reports. An ACOG expert committee said that although many people engage in "noncoital" sexual activities -- such as oral sex, mutual masturbation and anal sex -- in an attempt to prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of STIs, these sex acts still come with varying degrees of STI risk, and it is important for people to protect themselves.
Richard Guido and colleagues wrote in the report that "[n]oncoital sexual activity is not necessarily 'safe sex.'" Guido added, "Most people, including adolescents, are unlikely to use condoms during oral sex, which places them at risk for acquiring" an STI. He added, "This unlikelihood is partly because of a greater perceived safety compared with intercourse."
In terms of HIV transmission, ACOG said that receptive anal sex carries the highest risk, followed by receptive vaginal sex. There also have been HIV cases linked to oral sex, according to the report.
In the report, the panel advises physicians to ask both adult and teenage patients about all of their sexual activities and to counsel them on how to reduce the risk of STIs. Guido said that although this "is a sensitive issue to address for both patients and physicians, it's important to discuss frankly and without judgment so that we can help our patients fully protect themselves" against STIs. The panel also recommends "correct and consistent" condom use for all types of sexual activity, but particularly for vaginal and anal sex. Other ways to curb STI transmission include staying in a mutually monogamous relationship and getting tested for STIs before starting a new relationship, the panel said (Reuters, 9/2).
The study is available online.
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Global Challenges
HIV/AIDS, Human Rights Charter Proposed in Zimbabwe
[Sep 04, 2008]
An HIV/AIDS and human rights charter that aims to protect and promote the rights of people living with the disease was proposed recently by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the ZimbabweStandard reports. Tinashe Mundawarara -- program manager for ZLHR's HIV/AIDS, Human Rights and Law Project, which was established in 2004 to create a rights-based legal response to Zimbabwe's HIV/AIDS epidemic -- said, "This charter is a result of concentrated efforts by many national partners who are committed to ensuring dignity, justice and equality for all." He added the project plans to promote the charter to the government as a means to "formulate legislative laws" to protect those living with HIV/AIDS.
South African Justice Edwin Cameron pointed to denial in Africa regarding men who have sex with men. He added that Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancy rates -- age 35 for men and age 37 for women -- and that he is "shocked by the fact that" 45% of people are malnourished. According to Cameron, the charter was launched at an opportune moment given the "extraordinary political situation" in Zimbabwe. He said the current governmental situation in Zimbabwe is "linked" with poor health services in the country(Standard, 9/1).
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St. Lucia Developing HIV/AIDS Policy For Education System
[Sep 04, 2008]
Stakeholders involved in St. Lucia's education system met last week to commence work on an HIV/AIDS policy for the sector, the Caribbean Media Corporation/Antigua Sun reports. The policy will include mechanisms to ensure that the education system can deal with the disease, and Nahum Jn Baptiste, head of St. Lucia's HIV Secretariat, said that orphans and vulnerable children will be targeted under the policy. He added that the policy will address issues such as identifying students in need of care and referring them to providers (Caribbean Media Corporation/Antigua Sun, 9/1). "There will also be the issue of health and family life education, so it's not just about the transmission of HIV and AIDS but trying to have students develop positive lifestyles, which would help secure them not only from the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted [infections] but to live a full life," Jn Baptiste said. According to Jn Baptiste, the policy will be implemented when the draft is approved by St. Lucia's Cabinet (Caribbean Media Corporation, 9/1).
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U.S. Pledges $99M to Tanzania for HIV/AIDS, Malaria Efforts, Farm Loans
[Sep 04, 2008]
Tanzania will receive $99 million in aid from the U.S. to enhance its efforts to address malaria and HIV/AIDS and provide loans to farmers, Tanzania's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe said Tuesday, Reuters reports. The U.S. pledged the funding during Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete's visit to Washington, D.C., last week.
Of the funding, $34 million will be allocated for malaria control programs, $45 million for HIV/AIDS efforts, and $20 million for farm loans, Membe said. According to the Tanzanian government, children younger than age five and pregnant women with malaria account for 55% of hospital admissions in the country. In addition, approximately two million people in Tanzania, which has a population of 40 million, are HIV-positive (Obulutsa, Reuters, 9/2).
VOA News recently reported on Tanzania's efforts to fight malaria, U.S. aid to the country and Kikwete's recent visit to the U.S. The segment includes comments from President Bush and Kikwete (Stearns, VOA News, 8/29).
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