[Ip-health] FW: [HEALTHGAP] Urgent Action Alert: ZAP MERCK Thursday & Friday

[Paul Davis]

**please forward widely**

TELL MERCK: KEEP YOUR PROMISES
Merck's publicity ploy betrays people with AIDS in poor countries

Health GAP is asking you to make one call, or send one fax and email today
to a drug company that has lied about the price and availability of an AIDS
drug in poor countries in order to seek publicity for its drugs in richer
western markets.

FACTS:
* In October 2002--16 months ago--Merck announced price reduction for poor
countries for its new 600mg formulation of efavirenz (brand names Stocrin o=
r
Sustiva) to $0.95 per day.
* As of March 2004, Merck has refused to register the drug in poor countrie=
s
in order for the price reduction to be implemented and the drug to be
available. Merck continues to delay registering the drug in poor countries
although the it is registered in all wealthy countries.
* Because of the announcement, Merck benefited from international positive
press attention which was used to help publicize the new 600mg formulation
of efavirenz for markets in wealthy countries.
* Also, Merck refuses to reduce the price of the 200mg capsule of efavirenz
to $0.32 so that the price would equivalent to the $0.95 daily price of the
600mg formulation. Although it is still not affordable enough, this price
reduction of the 200mg would represent annual savings of $153.25 per person=
.

WHY THIS DRUG IS IMPORTANT:
* Efavirenz is an important medicine recommended by WHO for antiretroviral
combination therapy for the many people who are co-infected with HIV and TB=
.
* The 600mg formulation of efavirenz would reduce the pill burden for peopl=
e
living with AIDS from 3 pills to 1 pill a day which helps improve treatment
adherence.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Call, write, and fax Merck today to demand the price cuts  promised 16
months ago!
1) Call Merck country offices at the numbers given below.
2) Email Jeffrey Sturchio <jeffrey_sturchio@merck.com>, the Executive
Director of Public Affairs for Merck
3) Send a Fax to the CEO of Merck, Ray Gilmartin in the U.S.: Fax  +1
908-423-1513

WHAT TO TELL MERCK:
A. If you are reaching Merck by phone, say you are calling to make a
complaint about the price of Merck's 600mg Stocrin (efavirenz). Tell the
person who gets on the phone that you are outraged that Merck is
intentionally breaking promises and jeopardizing the lives of people with
AIDS in poor countries. Demand:

1)  immediately implement the price discounts for 200mg of efavirenz to $.3=
2
per capsule for countries Merck promised a discount of the 600mg of $0.95
per day [$346.75/patient/year]  for low HDI countries plus medium HDI
countries with adult HIV prevalence of 1% or greater.

2) Immediately register the 600mg formulation of efavirenz in all countries
throughout the developing world and release accurate and truthful
information about countries where the 600mg formulation is registered. For
example, Merck has falsely claimed that registration has been started or
completed in Nigeria, Malawi, and Indonesia.

B. If you faxing or emailing Merck, see the sample letter below.

CALLING MERCK COUNTRY OFFICES
(If your country is not listed, make an international call or send the emai=
l
to Merck's CEO)

U.S. (Headquarters): call 908-423-1000
UK: call 44-1992-467272
France: call 33-1-4754-8700
Netherlands: call 31-23-515-3153
Germany: call 49-89-45611-0
South Africa: call 27-11-655-3036
Singapore: call 65-296-7772
Hong Kong: call 852-2574-4241
Japan: call 03-3586-2711
Korea: call 822-6363-0114
Malaysia: call 603-79550707
Philippines: call 632-885-0700

SAMPLE LETTER FOR E-MAIL & FAX

To Ray Gilmartin and Jeffrey Sturchio,

I am writing to express my outrage that Merck has refused to implement
pricing discounts for the 600mg formulation of Stocrin (efavirenz). Sixteen
months ago, in October 2002, Merck announced its =E2=80=9Cnew 600mg tablet
formulation of STOCRIN (efavirenz) at a price of $0.95 per day
[$346.75/person/year] in least developed countries of the world and those
hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.=E2=80=9D

People living with AIDS and AIDS treatment providers throughout the
developing world have yet to see these announcements result in any change.
By stalling the registration of this formulation and price discounts for th=
e
600mg and 200mg, Merck is endangering the lives of people living with
HIV/AIDS. Therefore, I demand that you:

1)  immediately implement the price discounts for the 200mg of efavirenz to
$.32 per capsule for countries Merck promised a discount of the 600mg of
$0.95 per day [$346.75/patient/year]. It should be pointed out that even
this price is much too high.

2)  release accurate and truthful information on countries where the 600mg
formulation is registered. For example, Merck has falsely claimed that
registration has been started or completed in Nigeria, Malawi, and
Indonesia.

3) Immediately register the 600mg formulation of efavirenz in all countries
throughout the developing world at offer at the price announced 16 months
ago:  $346.75/person/year for low HDI countries plus medium HDI countries
with adult HIV prevalence of 1% or greater and $767/patient/year
($2.10/unit) for medium HDI countries with adult HIV prevalence less than
1%.

4) Voluntarily license the production of efavirenz to generic producers.

Sincerely,

Your Name
______________________________________________________
Stand up for the lives of the 42 million people living with HIV.

For more information:
* Write to Health GAP at info@healthgap.org or go to www.healthgap.org.
* Go to Doctors without Borders (www.accessmed-msf.org)