Having taken on Pfizer over its Viagra ads, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation now turns its attention to the cost of two Bristol-Myers AIDS drugs in Mexico.

AHF, which operates clinics, is about to launch a high-profile ad campaign called “AIDS Drugs To Die For,” and asks the drugmaker to immediately lower prices for Reyataz and Videx, and include Mexico in its ‘Secure the Future’ program that provides breaks to poor countries.

“In Mexico, Bristol-Myers Squibb charges four times as much for Reyataz and Videx as it does in least-developed countries in Africa and parts of Asia, a cold-hearted business calculation which effectively makes these drugs out of reach for nearly all people living with HIV/AIDS in Mexico,” says AHF prez Michael Weinstein.

In other words, it’s not enough to encourage the public to visit a web site and Light A Candle, a recent charitable AIDS gambit that backfired on the drugmaker when it was revealed its donation would be capped at $100,000, not a limitless amount pegged at $1 for every virtual candle lit.

AIDS groups, generally, know how to push buttons, and negative publicity can be very effective, especially at a time when the pharmaceutical industry is already under attack for safety and marketing controversies. How, or if, Bristol-Myers will respond, though, is uncertain. The drugmaker doesn’t even have a permanent ceo. But if Jim Cornelius doesn’t quickly assign someone to pay attention, he’s guaranteed to have one more unwanted distraction on his hands.

[tags]AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pricing[/tags]