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New anti-AIDS drug deal could short-change consumers


	Thursday 28 April 2005

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SOUTH AFRICA: New anti-AIDS drug deal could short-change consumers

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

JOHANNESBURG, 26 April (PLUSNEWS) - The local pharmaceutical company, Aspen Pharmacare, will soon manufacture generic versions of two more patented anti-AIDS drugs and sell them in 95 developing countries.

According to the local Business Day newspaper, Aspen announced on Monday that under the terms of the deal, to be finalised in September, it would acquire the distribution rights in Africa for the antiretroviral (ARV) drugs Truvada and Viread, manufactured by US company Gilead.

Viread and Truvada are new-generation ARVs, increasingly prescribed in the US and Europe for strains of HIV that are resistant to other drugs because they have fewer side effects and are taken only once a day.

Aspen Pharmacare already produces generic copies of patented drugs made by GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Bristol-Meyers Squibb.

But AIDS activists raised concerns that under the deal, Aspen would simply take over part of Gilead's not-for-profit market, rather than becoming a competitor offering cheaper copies of the drugs.

[ENDS]

MORE NEWS BRIEFS

Recent SOUTH AFRICA Reports

Voices of mothers on preventing HIV transmission , ?11/Apr/05

Initiative to alleviate effect of AIDS on education, ?7/Apr/05

Shared breastfeeding and poor medical hygiene fuels HIV/AIDS, ?6/Apr/05

Interview with Dr Nomonde Xundu, head of govt's HIV/AIDS unit, ?30/Mar/05

Positive Muslims 'buddies' offer emotional support, ?29/Mar/05

Links

Le portail d'informations générales de la Côte d’Ivoire

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria

AEGIS

Mothers and HIV/AIDS

PlusNews does not take responsibility for info in links supplied.

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