[Ip-health] For Immediate Release: Activists Take on Abbott in a Tug-of-War for Access to AIDS Medicines in Colombia

[peter maybarduk]

(At IAC, Mexico City)

For Immediate Release

Activists Take on Abbott in a Tug-of-War for Access to AIDS Medicines
in Colombia

International advocates stage tug-of-war to call for Compulsory
License for Kaletra
Protest at 2:30 outside Banamex Media Center (IAC Mexico City)
3pm Press Conference in Room 1 (Azteca)


Contacts:

Peter Maybarduk, Essential Action
(en M=E9xico)
+52 55 1902-1954
maybarduk@gmail.com

David Morales Alba, Comunicaci=F3n Positiva
(en M=E9xico)
+52 55 2819-2970
david.morales@comunicacionpositiva.org

Mexico City, Mexico -

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 2:30 PM, at the entrance to the IAC
press center - A large international coalition of activists, people
living with HIV/AIDS, and medical and law students call on the
Colombian government to live up to its humanitarian responsibility to
provide access to generic AIDS medications.

People with HIV in clinical need of treatment and their allies will
have a tug-of-war with Abbott that only the Colombian government can
decide.

"My government must not let its people die when there exists a
simple, affordable solution to helping people with HIV/AIDS live
normal lives," says Francisco Rossi of Colombian NGO IFARMA-HAI.

On 16 July, 2008, an alliance of Colombian civil society groups filed
a request for their government to issue an open compulsory license on
the life-saving anti-retroviral drug lopinavir/ritonavir, patented
and sold by Abbott as Kaletra. Several months earlier, on 7 April,
2008, Colombian civil society asked Abbott directly to license its
patent and allow generic competition. To date, Abbott has not
responded to the groups' request.

The Colombian government is empowered under WTO and Andean Community
rules to issue compulsory licenses, authorizing generic competition
with patented medicines to protect public health, in exchange for a
reasonable royalty to the patent holder.

"The Colombian government must partner with patients, instead of with
Abbott, following the example of the many countries that have issued
compulsory licenses," says Mary Carol Jennings from the American
Medical Student Association. "This means making generic medications
available at low cost to people whose lives depend on them."

Following the tug-of-war, the coalition will host a press conference
in Press Conference Room 1 ("Azteca") announcing the support of
dozens of patients' groups and public health advocacy organizations
from around the world for the Colombian compulsory license request.

Kaletra currently costs the Colombian public sector approximately
$1683USD per patient, per year, and prices for private health
organizations reach $4449. Peru and Bolivia, by contrast, pay less
than $800 for generic lopinavir/ritonavir. Through a recent accord
with the Clinton Foundation, prices in the region could fall to $550.
By issuing a compulsory license and allowing generics firms to
compete with Abbott's Kaletra, the Colombian government could save
well over $1million USD annually.  These savings could be invested in
scaling up HIV/AIDS treatment and strengthening Colombia's health
system.

Mesa de Organizaciones que trabajan en VIH/SIDA (en Bogot=E1)
* +57-1-338-4991 *  licencia.obligatoria.colombia@gmail.com *