Press room ... 2000 archive

Project Inform Urges Continued Negotiation
Over Drug Company Offer to Improve Access
to Therapy in Developing Nations

May 19, 2000

San Francisco, CA—Project Inform, one of the nation's oldest and most respected AIDS treatment information and advocacy agencies, expressed both appreciation and concern at the recent Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) initiative to improve access to AIDS treatments in developing countries. The initiative brings together leading international health and development agencies and drug manufacturers in a long overdue public/private response to the worldwide epidemic.

While lauding the five drug companies who have joined the initiative, Project Inform expressed strong concerns about its development and implementation. Responding to the drug companies' offer to slash prices of drugs in developing countries, Founding Director Martin Delaney said, "While this is a useful step in the right direction, there are many possible pitfalls ahead. Even at the steep discounts mentioned so far, most people living with HIV in developing countries still won't be able to afford the drugs. Meanwhile, the companies stand to make large profits if they succeed in selling drugs to even a portion of the tens of millions of people worldwide who presently don't have access."

Project Inform has identified at least three critical issues not clearly addressed in the public statements made by the companies: (1) Do the price reductions come without strings or are they conditional upon the participating country's agreement to give up their rights to other treatment access mechanisms? (2) Does the proposed agreement cover only older, first generation AIDS drugs or also the newer, more effective and easier-to-use therapies? (3) Will companies offer different discounts adjusted to the economic realities of individual countries?

On the first issue, Anne Donnelly, Public Policy Director of Project Inform urges that developing countries not be asked to give up their rights to use such mechanisms as parallel importing and compulsory licensing in return for discounts from manufacturers. Donnelly said, "Let the depth of the discount determine which approach works best for an individual country."

Regarding the issue of which drugs would be included, Project Inform expressed concern that the only drugs specifically mentioned so far are AZT and 3TC, which have been on the market for many years. Avi Rose, Executive Director of Project Inform, said, "We need to be sure that people get access to the best and easiest to use therapies. Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing nations must not serve as a dumping ground for yesterday's drugs, nor should the needs of poor people be exploited to keep production lines for old drugs active. Any agreement must cover all appropriate therapies."

In regards to determining appropriate discounts, Martin Delaney commented, "Even with an 80 or 90% discount, the cost of therapy is still out of reach for most people living with HIV in developing nations. In some countries, only the 100% discount level will make treatment access feasible. Elsewhere, the discount level could be linked to some factor, such as the amount of money spent per person on health care. The prices charged in developed countries will remain high, and this makes sense only if a good portion of profits are being used to support provision of treatment to the poorest people living with HIV rather than further enriching company shareholders."