Brazil bypasses patent on U.S. AIDS drug

[rodeodance]

Source: ap



Brazil bypasses patent on U.S. AIDS drug

By VIVIAN SEQUERA, Associated Press Writer Fri May 4, 6:46 PM ET

BRASILIA, Brazil - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took steps Friday to let Brazil buy an inexpensive generic version of an
AIDS drug made by Merck & Co. despite the U.S. drug company's patent.

Silva issued a "compulsory license" that would bypass Merck's patent on the AIDS drug efavirenz, a day after the Brazilian government rejected Merck's offer to sell the drug at a 30 percent discount, or $1.10 per pill, down from $1.57.

The country was seeking to purchase the drug at 65 cents a pill, the same price Thailand pays.

It was the first time Brazil has bypassed a patent, but Silva said Brazil would consider doing so again on any drug sold at unfair prices. "Between our business and our health, we are going to take care of our health," he said after signing the decree.

Amy Rose, a spokeswoman for Whitehouse S

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070504/ap_on_he_me/brazil_aids_drug;_ylt=Ao39ODXU8bL7Zie_OegowjvMWM0F

[Lasher]

1. Wonder what it costs in the US?

About $10.00 a pill I would guess.

[jamesinca]

2. I did some searching, very little,

and the first price I saw advertized was for 200mg pills, 90 of them for $299 or $3.32 per pill. I am seeing the recommended dose at 600mg per day so this is a 30 day supply for $299 dollars.

[Lasher]

4. And 65 cents in Thailand

I hate US drug companies.

[cain_7777]

7. AND THE CONGRESS THAT ENABLES THEM

[DavidMS]

11. The average drug prices are published

roughly 1/quarter IIRC.

Drug companies should not engage in geographic price discrimination for drugs that treat serious diseases. Prices should be based on on what the market will bear, but on the risks associated with development, manufacturing costs, and providing a decent return to investors (drug development is a risky business).

Congratulations to Brazil for improving public heath.

[mikelgb]

16. should be free

[JCMach1]

15. US drug prices are insane... here in the UAE prices avg. about 1/4

what they are in the States. Some drugs are 1/10th.

Not only that, you can bypass the doc and buy the drugs direct. Great for something you know like a throat infection. Get the cheap med, don't clog up the Dr.'s office.

[Liberal Veteran]

18. My insurance "claims" to pay 1150.00 for a 90 day supply of 600mg tabs (rec dose)

or about $12.75 per tablet.

And since antivirals are most often taken in triple therapy, Atripla, which contains a daily dose of efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir costs 3185 for a three month supply or about $36.00 per pill.

Can you say "gouging motherfuckers"? I thought you could.

[apnu]

21. Yeah I can say 'gouging motherfuckers'

At pha-shop.com Sustiva is $7.80 per pill (in qty 10 @ 600mg)

See here: http://www.pha-shop.com/index.php?p=drug&drugBrandId=20046

Its Big Pharma is a goddamn rip-off, they should all go to hell.

[xchrom]

3. as it should be. good for them.

[RC]

5. Good on Silva!

Now if our Congress would only do that.

[Miss Chybil]

6. I wonder if Merck will jack the price up even more in the US to cover the loss?

I mean, since they can.

[Vidar]

8. Nice to have a country that cares more for its people than its

corporations. Bravo Brazil.

[Christa]

9. True

How sad it is actually for our Aids sufferers.

[nealmhughes]

10. Bangladesh and India, both with large pharma manufacturing companies, are considering

to follow suit, as well. It seems that there are provisions in the GATT, WTO, etc. that allow for "emergency" liftings of copyrights/patents in case of a national emergency, and that Brazil considers this to be a national emergency.

But note that this is only one drug, the generic version of Sustiva, and people taking it have to take a daily other drug as well! Usually Combivir or Truveda.

Sustiva is a non-nuke, while Combivir is a nuke -- confused? Well follow the links for the interactions! http://www.aidsmeds.com/archive/Sustiva_1615.shtml

Sustiva will also screw with one's dreams for a while as well as stomach when initially taking it. The dreams are not nightmares, but "vivid" is an understatement!

We who take it call it "our Sustiva Dreams," and many, at least, myself, miss them dearly. Some of the best fiction to ever come out of my head, in a magic reality sense, came from my first months on Sustiva!

[SunDrop23]

12. WTG Lula!

[williesgirl]

13. k&r - we should be demanding the candidates state their position on what they'll do about the pharma

and oil companies obscene profits and price gauging of Americans.

[annabanana]

14. This is an excellent development.

Big Pharma keeps complaining that they have to keep the patents so the have the money to "do the necessary research & development" for new drugs for the good of mankind. (most of which turn out to be baldness cures and elbow deodorant-type sops to the insecure over-privileged)

Tell you what, guys... Stop wining and dining the doctors and the congressmen.. stop advertising prescription drugs to the public...draw down the obscene CEO pay packages and spend that money on research & development.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Beautiful seeing a world leader indicate his country's people come first.

I'll bet you couldn't get _{George W. Bush} to say that, even after one of his famous waterboarding sessions.

Best wishes to Lula for a long, productive, assassination-free life.

[Heidi]

19. Kick.

:kick:

[rhino47]

20. Brazil to break Aids drug patent

Source: bbc

Brazil's president has authorised the country to bypass the patent on an Aids drug manufactured by Merck, a US pharmaceutical giant.
he country will import a cheaper, generic Indian-made version of the patented Efavirenz drug.

The decision came after talks between Brazil and the US company broke down.

Merck had offered Brazil a 30% discount on the cost of the drugs but the country wanted to pay the same price as Thailand, which gets a larger discount.

Small royalty

Merck offered Brazil almost a third off the cost - pricing the pills at $1.10 (£0.55) instead of $1.59.

But Brazil wanted its discount pegged at same level as Thailand, which pays just $0.65 per pill.

Now, though, it will source Indian-made versions of Efavirenz for just $0.45 each.

"From an ethical point of view the price difference is grotesque," said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6626073.stm

[adamuu]

22. remember, during the antrax scare, the US

the US violated a German pharmaceutical patent by producing mass quantities of Cipro locally.
so we can't really say boo about this.

[Lance_Boyle]

23. Reminder for Reflux sufferers... Indian-made Prilosec available in the US!

www.purplediscount.com

Same stuff, much lower price.