Newsday
November 29, 2000
AIDS activists yesterday blasted drug give-away and price reduction programs sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies as public relations ploys that do little to address the need for long-term relief in hard-hit African countries.
The companies, they say, not only have failed to act on their promises, but also have tried to block .access to cheaper generic versions of some drugs.
Representatives from several drug companies responded by saying they have acted in good faith to get the drugs to those who need them most. Also, they maintained that international patent systems must be preserved to protect the enormous monetary investments required to bring the drugs through the development and regulatory pipelines.
The criticism comes in advance of planned World AIDS Day activities and anticipated philanthropic announcements by major drug companies on Friday. It also comes four months after the 13th International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, at which AIDS drug manufacturers pledged to help stem the epidemic on the African continent.
"The bottom line is we need real reductions in price, not promises, and they need to be sustainable,² said Asia Russell, speaking during a conference call for the groups ACT UP Philadelphia and the Health Gap Coalition. Taking their cue from the upcoming World AIDS Day theme, "Men make a difference,² the latter group released a report card rating the male presidents and CEOs of major pharmaceutical firms and their announced plans to provide free or low-cost AIDS-related drugs to poor nations. All received a "D² or an "F.² The failing grade was given to companies that the advocacy group accused of blocking access to other AIDS treatment options.
One of the failing grades was issued to pharmaceutical giant Glaxo Wellcome Inc., which markets seven AIDS drugs and is in merger negotiations with fellow British behemoth SmithKline Beecham. Spokeswoman Mary Anne Rhyne said she was surprised by the criticism and maintained the company has been a pioneer in price-reduction programs.
"We're willing to pledge that we're in it for the long term and we will seek to be active partners in getting the medicine to people who need it,² she said. "We've been working with governments to improve infrastructure because we believe that price is not the only .obstacle to getting medication to those who need it.²
But Mark Heywood, deputy chairman of the Treatment Action Campaign in Johannesburg, said drug unaffordability remains a major issue in South Africa. During a conference call, he said three of his organization's volunteers have died of AIDS-related complications in the last five days. "All of these people have died within kilometers of modern, first-world health facilities,² he said. "And they have died because the treatment methods were unaffordable to them.²
Dr. Anne-Valerie Kaninda, a medical adviser to the international humanitarian aid organization Doctors Without Borders, said her organization is requesting an across-the-board 95 percent reduction in the cost of AIDS medication for poor countries, and has called on companies to respond by the first week of 2001.
Last month, Doctors Without Borders released the report "Hidden Price Tags,² which maintains that AIDS drug donations provide tax incentives for drug companies while saddling the public with extra costs and providing no incentive for the company to lower its prices to a level affordable to the developing world.
The organization is instead advocating support of generic AIDS drug production and dramatic price reductions for brand name counterparts.