[Pharm-policy] Joint MSF/CIPLA statement

[James Love]

Joint Statement Médecins Sans Frontières & Cipla

Progress Reported on Implementation of Offer for
More Affordable Anti-AIDS Drugs


23 February 2001,Mumbai, India* Two days of discussions between Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF) and Cipla Limited have resulted in clarification
of how the Cipla offer for affordable anti-AIDS drugs will be
implemented. 

Governments of developing countries can immediately take advantage of
the offer for its triple-combination anti-retroviral drugs for $600 per
patient per year by contacting Cipla directly. This offer is available
without restrictions in time, geography or quantity. This is the first
time that across-the-board price reductions have been made available
without restrictions. The company will also provide similar level of
prices for its other antiretroviral drugs. Cipla cooperates with drug
regulatory authorities to provide all necessary documentation for
registration as required in individual countries.

MSF will integrate some of these drugs into existing protocols where
these drugs are already registered by national health authorities. The
organization is beginning antiretroviral pilot programs in approximately
10 countries. Sources of drug supply will vary according to
availability, registration and affordability.

To expand the offer of a humanitarian price ($350 per patient per year)
which has been made to MSF, Cipla agrees to examine several additional
possibilities, including working with third parties to increase the
number of patients that could be reached and treated.

Cipla is also open to have a dialogue with the relevant UN agencies. The
company also agrees to participate in meaningful discussions on
potential international procurement of antiretrovirals for developing
countries, along with developing country representatives, donors and
relevant members of the UN system.

A sample of  Cipla's prices offered to governments: 
A combination of stavudine (d4T) 40 mg tablets, lamivudine (3TC) 150 mg
tablets and nevirapine (NVP) 200 mg tablets, twice daily: $600 per
patient per year.  

A breakdown of the above price offer for the individual drugs is as
follows: 
d4T 40 mg : $70;  3TC 150 mg : $190;  NVP 200 mg: $340.

Contacts:  
Médecins Sans Frontières 				Cipla Limited	
Daniel Berman						corporate@cipla.com
Phone : 0041 79 286 9649				www.cipla.com
access-com@geneva.msf.org				Phone : 0091 22 3082891/
www.accessmed-msf.org 					0091 22 3095521
							Fax     : 0091 22 3070385


-- 
James Love
Consumer Project on Technology
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
http://www.cptech.org
love@cptech.org
1.202.387.8030 fax 1.202.234.5176