[Ip-health] Brazilian deal on tenofovir - translation of MoH release of 9th of may

Tue May 16 10:41:39 2006

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09.05.06

HIV drug will cost 51% less for Brazil

The MoH will pay, from Thursday on (9th of may), 51 % less for the drug
tenofovir, which is part of the cocktail used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS=
.
The agreement was signed today by the Minister of Health, Agenor =C1lvares,
and by the vice-president of the Canadian Company Gilead Science, Joseph
Steele. The price of each capsule went down from US$ 7,68 to US$ 3,80 each.
A reduction of the price paid represents an immediate saving of US$ 31,4
millions per year, which will allow new investments in the National Aids an=
d
STD Programme.

According to the Minister of Health, the agreement guarantees the supply  o=
f
tenofovir, which is distributed freely for 11 thousand patients. =93 We are
negotiating with all antiretroviral producers. The Federal Government is
committed to guarantee to HIV patients the supply of these medicines, that
are needed to improve their quality of life=94, added. Currently, Brazil is
distributing freely 17 anti-aids drugs, from which nine are imported and
eight are produced by national public or private laboratories.

According to the Health Vigilance Secretary, Jarbas Barbosa, the agreement
is already into place for the acquisition of 8,1 million capsules that the
Brazilian government will buy still in this year 2006. =93 the agreement
establishes the purchase of the medicines in no specific quantity. Besides
de humanitarian prices, Brazil has now the best price in all of Latin
America", says the Secretary. Data of the WHO show that approximatly one
million people in the whole world have access to ARVs. From these, 300
thousand are from Latin America =96 170 thousand of which from Brazil.

For Mari=E2ngela Sim=E3o, director of the National STD/AIDS Programme, The
agreement will allow, until the end of the year, to expand the distribution
of ARVs by 50 %. =93 tenofovir is now becoming a first line drug. The
reduction of cost will allow the increase of the number of patients taking
this drug. We will probably finalize the year with 15 or 16 thousand people
taking Tenofovir=94 she says. The medicine, according to her, has advantage=
s
because of therapeutic efficacy, its daily single dosage and because of the
reduction of adverse side effects.

Ag=EAncia Sa=FAde

More informations

Press Office of the MoH

Telefone: (61) 3315-3676

Emergency: (61) 9962-3752

Portal:  <http://www.saude.gov.br/> www.saude.gov.br

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