A coalition of AIDS groups worried about the cost of Isentress, a novel HIV med that’s expected to be approved by the FDA this month, is orchestrating an Internet protest asking the drugmaker to “set a price that offers a reasonable profit without worsening the economic problems faced by patients and payers.”

The Fair Pricing Coalition, which held meetings with Merck, is circulating a statement noting that “the pricing of this treatment will have a major impact on the various publicly funded programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, all of which are already straining at the breaking point.” While the group praises Merck’s historical track record in pricing AIDS meds, it also invokes the famous line uttered by George Merck: “Medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow, and if we have remembered that, they have never failed to appear.”

In those talks with activists, Merck apparently indicated it would price Isentress in line with similar meds, which raised red flags. The coalition claims “it will not be enough for Merck to set a price ‘no higher’ than popular protease inhibitors,” because these are already “grossly overpriced” at between “$10,000 and $13,000.” Since many AIDS patients must take more than one med to combat the virus, the group is concerned the final price tag for treatment may be too high.

“We understand the nature of business and the interests of stockholders. The question is how will Merck balance the needs of people with HIV, the limitations of the payers, and the interests of its stockholders? We suspect that there may even be special economic pressures, given some of the turmoil the company has faced in recent years. But these factors in no way change the pressures experienced by people with HIV/AIDS and by payers, both governmental and private. We urge, in the strongest terms possible, that Merck price this drug responsibly and not based on industry averages or what the market will bear…

“…Any price higher than the midpoint of the leading protease inhibitors will be seen as exploitive. A price at the low end of this class (or below) will be publicly heralded as evidence that at least one pharmaceutical company puts people ahead of profits. The upward spiral of drug prices must stop somewhere. This is the time. This is the place. And Merck is the company.”

You can read the full statement here.