[Ip-health] Re: [ATAC-Discuss] Docs call for Abbott boycott - part 1

[George M. Carter]

At 06:16 PM 12/18/2003 -0500, Bob Huff wrote:
>
>US doctors plan cross the board Abbott product boycott after 400%
>ritonavir price hike
>
>  Keith Alcorn
>Abbott Laboratories is facing mounting criticism following its decision to
>quadruple the price of ritonavir Norvir in the United States. The company
>emphasises that the price rise only applies to the US, not to Europe.
>
>An Abbott spokesperson told aidsmap that the price rise "reflects the
>value that Norvir brings to combination therapy"

First, this "reflects the value" comment is what industry always burbles as
a reason for screwing people. Schering did the same for it's overpriced
interferon and ribavirin bundle.

I think a boycott is a dumb idea, frankly. They don't work. Some people
will NEED lopinavir as they will have few other choices. A boycott list is
nice, but hard to successfully pull off.

So what we need to do is articulate a model program--at least the broad
strokes--of price control legislation. And start lobbying other groups to
sign on. Perhaps the people at AIDSVote.org could add a separate platform
to address this? Though I'd prefer if it were done, say through the ACLU or
other non-HIV-specific organization.

An excellent review article and some other links provided below.
George M. Carter

***
One great article:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv25n4/v25n4-7.pdf or a text only
version at:
http://mpelembe.mappibiz.com/archives_02/Drug_research_price.html

An interesting powerpoint presentation:
http://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/richardl/DPI02/Eng_Pres/S_7_Public-Private%202002_Eng_Y.ppt

Table of contents for an interesting looking but costly book:
http://www.pdci.on.ca/reports/globalpricing.htm

Interesting set of tables comparing different methods of price
controls/systems and data from various countries:
http://www.jrc.es/pages/ourrole/policy/pharma/appendix.html

Review article in re developing nations:
http://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/richardl/ih820/2003_papers/reference%20pricing%20-%20kat%20neumeyer.doc

There's more, but that's enough for now. (A particularly despicable
analysis that wallows in supporting concentrating as much wealth as
possible in the hands of a few included a diatribe against price
controls...guess where that came from? The psychos at the American
Enterprise Institute who seem to think "oligarchical caliphate" =
"democracy" among other things.)