[Ip-health] FT: Poorer nations urged to push harder for cheaper aids drugs

[Nathan Ford]

Financial Times, Friday Aug 18 2006

POORER NATIONS URGED TO PUSH HARDER FOR CHEAPER AIDS DRUGS

By Andrew Jack
Published: August 17 2006 03:00 | Last updated: August 17 2006 03:00
A top World Health Organisation official yesterday called on developing
countries to be more aggressive in negotiations with drug companies and to
streamline red tape to provide universal Aids treatment by 2010, Andrew Jack
reports.

Kevin De Cock, director of the HIV/Aids department at WHO, told the
International Aids conference in Toronto that poor countries were making
insufficient use of the so-called Trips agreement.

Within World Trade Organisation rules this allows countries to override
patents and issue licences to generic manufacturers to produce cheaper
versions of antiretroviral drugs. The provision, fiercely resisted by
western drug companies and US officials, is rarely used and, as other
speakers at the conference warned, it is becoming even more difficult under
bilateral trade agreements being negotiated by the US.

Dr De Cock said the "best-price scenario" of $130 per person per year for
generic antiretroviral drugs in the poorest countries was "not universally
available".

He warned of still greater difficulties for middle income countries, and
those seeking paediatric drugs and so-called second-line treatments for
patients who developed resistance to medicines. Dr De Cock also cautioned
that progress was hindered by some developing countries' tariffs and taxes
on imported drugs, and their slow pace of registration of new medication.

He pledged from the end of this year WHO would publish annual reports on
progress towards universal access to Aids medicines.

With only 10 per cent of people infected aware of their status, he called
for earlier diagnosis and wider testing. "Treatment delayed is often
treatment denied," he said.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006