Fighting AIDS And Pharma In Brazil
Make a commentBy Ed Silverman // June 23rd, 2008 // 9:41 am
Earlier this month, Mariangela Simao, who heads Brazil’s HIV/AIDS program, spoke with National Public Radio about the country’s efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and, in particular, its use of generic drugs from India and a compulsory license for efavirenz, which is sold by Merck.
As she notes, Brazil is a “big market” with about 180,000 people in treatment. And Simao maintains the country has a “good working relationship” with pharma, “but we fight every year to lower prices…we have to work within our budgets and think about long-term sustainability.” With Merck offered a 3-cent discount off the 70 cent price of efavirenz. In the end, Brazil paid 39 cents for a generic from India. Go here to listen to the interview…