[Ip-health] HIV drugs to cost more as cos rush for patents 12 Dec, 2007

[Clio.VAN.CAUTER@geneva.msf.org]

=0D
 HIV drugs to cost=0D
 more as cos rush=0D
 for patents=0D
 12 Dec, 2007,=0D
 0148 hrs IST, TNN=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
 NEW        DELHI:=0D
 Treatment  of HIV=0D
 patients in India=0D
 could         get=0D
 costlier       as=0D
 global=0D
 pharmaceutical=0D
 companies    have=0D
 started  securing=0D
 patents for drugs=0D
 used   to   treat=0D
 AIDS  and related=0D
 diseases.  Global=0D
 major      Pfizer=0D
 received      the=0D
 patent        for=0D
 Maraviroc in June=0D
 this  year. Roche=0D
 has also received=0D
 patents  for  its=0D
 two drugs used to=0D
 treat Hepatitis C=0D
 and=0D
 cytomegalovirus=0D
 retinitis=0D
 (blindness),=0D
 diseases    which=0D
 are  common  with=0D
 HIV     patients.=0D
=0D
 There  are around=0D
 2.5  million  HIV=0D
 patients in India=0D
 and          once=0D
 companies=E2=80=99   gets=0D
 patents for their=0D
 drugs,=0D
 government,   HIV=0D
 organisations and=0D
 individuals  will=0D
 not    have    an=0D
 affordable option=0D
 of generic drugs.=0D
 Pfizer       drug=0D
 Maraviroc   is  a=0D
 second       line=0D
 anti-retroviral=0D
 drug    used   to=0D
 treat    patients=0D
 who          have=0D
 developed=0D
 resistance     to=0D
 first   line   of=0D
 medications.   At=0D
 present,    there=0D
 are   no  generic=0D
 equivalents   for=0D
 the          drug=0D
 worldwide.=0D
=0D
 However, patients=0D
 groups are likely=0D
 to  challenge the=0D
 patent        for=0D
 Maraviroc.   =E2=80=9CThe=0D
 Indian     patent=0D
 office  has given=0D
 approval     even=0D
 though        the=0D
 European=0D
 regulator     has=0D
 withheld      its=0D
 decision for lack=0D
 of     sufficient=0D
 details.      The=0D
 company  has  not=0D
 even   registered=0D
 the drug in India=0D
 after     getting=0D
 marketing=0D
 approval  in  the=0D
 US  in August. We=0D
 will    have   to=0D
 check the medical=0D
 benefits  of this=0D
 drug    and   its=0D
 market     before=0D
 deciding  on  the=0D
 future  course of=0D
 action, =E2=80=9D says an=0D
 NGO     official.=0D
=0D
 Network of people=0D
 living  with HIV,=0D
 an    NGO,    has=0D
 already   made  a=0D
 post        grant=0D
 opposition    for=0D
 Roche=E2=80=99s      drug=0D
 Pen-interferon,=0D
 which  is used to=0D
 treat   Hepatitis=0D
 C.  According  to=0D
 some   estimates,=0D
 the    cost    of=0D
 pen-interferon=0D
 for six months is=0D
 around     $5000.=0D
 Another  drug  of=0D
 Roche,=0D
 Valganciclovir,=0D
 used   to   treat=0D
 blindness  in HIV=0D
 patients has also=0D
 got        patent=0D
 approval.    This=0D
 could cost around=0D
 $10,273   for   3=0D
 months. Cipla has=0D
 moved    a   post=0D
 grant  opposition=0D
 against=0D
 Valganciclovir=0D
 patent.=0D
=0D
 Pfizer   on   its=0D
 part said that it=0D
 will         make=0D
 available=0D
 affordable  drugs=0D
 in India. =E2=80=9CWe are=0D
 in the process of=0D
 complying    with=0D
 necessary=0D
 regulations   for=0D
 registering=0D
 Maraviroc      in=0D
 India.  Therefore=0D
 it     is     too=0D
 premature      to=0D
 comment on launch=0D
 details.  However=0D
 we  are committed=0D
 to       bringing=0D
 meaningful=0D
 improvement    to=0D
 the    lives   of=0D
 people     living=0D
 with and those at=0D
 risk  of HIV/AIDS=0D
 through  outreach=0D
 programs     that=0D
 will       enable=0D
 access         of=0D
 innovative=0D
 medicines      to=0D
 patients.=E2=80=9D=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
Clio Van Cauter=0D
Communications Officer=0D
Medecins Sans Frontieres=0D
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines=0D
Tel:+41 22 849 8403=0D
E-mail: clio.van.cauter@geneva.msf.org=0D