Cipla Is Bashed Over Prices Of AIDS Drugs

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India's Cipla Is Bashed Over Prices Of AIDS Drugs

December 14th, 2007 7:50 am By Ed Silverman

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is criticizing the generic drugmaker

over what it calls a " modest price cut " on three of its AIDS meds.

The reduction comes after a campaign to pressure Cipla to lower its

prices in India, but AHF says a huge gap of 150 percent remains in

the difference between what Cipla charges in India and Africa.

" A price cut of 5 percent to 15 percent is nowhere near enough to

make Cipla's lifesaving HIV/AIDS drugs affordable and accessible to

all Indians in need, " says Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia Pacific bureau

chief for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and a medical provider based

in New Delhi.

" We urge Cipla to make the dramatic price cuts necessary to ensure

that its own countrymen and women will benefit from the company's

ability to produce cheap medicines – just as those in Africa and

other parts of the developing world have benefited. "

Of the 2.5 million people now estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in

India, only around 85,000 are receiving lifesaving antiretroviral

treatment, and the average income is far below what the cost of a

year's supply of med, putting AIDS drugs out of reach of most

Indians.

The AHF campaign, which began earlier this year with newspaper ads

trying to shame Cipla, prompted an investigation by the Monopolies

and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, India's anti-trust

commission that probes monopolistic, restrictive and unfair trade

practices, over its possible overpricing of Viraday.

http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/12/indias-cipla-is-bashed-over-prices-

of-aids-drugs/