Govt, & Pharma Industry discuss AIDS drugs price-cut

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Govt, pharma cos to discuss AIDS drugs price-cut today

P.T. Jyothi Datta

New Delhi , Nov. 16

THE first step towards possibly bringing down the price of anti-AIDS

drugs in India is set to be taken on Monday, with the Union Health

Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, scheduled to meet domestic drug majors

who have carved a niche for themselves in the global generic drugs

market, especially the anti-AIDS segment.

This comes on the heels of the arrangement that the Clinton

Foundation had struck with three Indian companies — Cipla, Ranbaxy

and Matrix — to supply anti-retrovirals (ARVs) or anti-AIDS drugs, at

one-third its existing price, to the African countries.

While the drug majors were lauded by sections in the health sector

for playing a significant role in making ARVs accessible and

affordable in African markets, one of the regions worst hit by the

AIDS epidemic, questions are being raised on why domestic pharma

companies are not providing ARVs at affordable costs to HIV patients

in India.

Of the 4.2 million people with HIV/AIDS in India, an estimated 40

lakh require ARVs, estimate healthcare workers.

The Health Ministry sources confirmed Ms Swaraj's meeting with the

drug companies and said that pricing was high on the agenda. " At

present, drugs in the first line of treatment cost a patient Rs 1,500

per month, the Ministry will try to bring it down to about Rs 300 per

month in the Government programme, " they said.

Pharma industry sources told Business Line that representatives from

Cipla, Ranbaxy, Matrix, Aurbindo and Hetero had been called for the

meeting. " The pharma companies reaction to take price-cuts would

depend on the drugs the Government requires. The Government should

have a composite programme in terms of procurement and distribution

of the drugs, besides screening and monitoring whether the regimen is

adhered to. "

Using the Clinton Foundation deal as a case in point, pharma circles

point out that the " negotiated tender " process is a successful model,

where the Government procures the bulk ingredient at a subsidised

price for the pharma companies and the latter in turn could

manufacture the volumes for a guaranteed market. " ARVs priced at

about $350 per annum for a patient, came down to $140, thanks to a

similar arrangement by the Clinton Foundation, " they observed.

Meanwhile, Mr K.K. Abraham, Indian Network of People Living with

HIV/AIDS, had earlier told this correspondent that pharma companies

and the Government need to also look at the cost of laboratory tests,

based on which the ARV regimen is decided.

Ms Anjali Gopalan, Executive Director, Naaz Foundation India Trust —

working in the area of prevention and care with HIV — is in

agreement. " The meeting should look at the price of testing and drugs

used at the different stages, besides working on training doctors to

deal with the illness, not just in terms of dispelling the stigma but

also in terms of prescribing ARVs and monitoring the regimen. "

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