New pact with pharma cos to cut cost of AIDS drugs

A new agreement has been clinched with pharmaceutical firms to substantially decrease the cost of treating AIDS in 66 countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean, former US President Bill Clinton, who is spearheading a campaign against the pandemic, has announced.

The agreements cover the second-line anti-retroviral drugs -- the drugs required for patients who develop resistance to first-line treatment. The second-line drugs are 10 times more expensive than the first-line medicines.

The new agreements lower the prices of 16 formulations of ARVs that will generate an average savings of 25 per cent in low-income countries and 50 percent in middle-income countries. The drugs will be available through the Clinton Foundation's Procurement Consortium.

Citing the importance of keeping AIDS treatment affordable, Clinton also announced the 'next generation' first-line treatment, taken once daily, is now less than $1 under

new agreements.

The equivalent product in the US, launched in July 2006, is widely perceived as a gold- standard treatment, as it offers greater convenience, fewer side effects, and improved treatment outcomes in comparison to the regimen used most commonly in developing countries.

Clinton was joined at the announcement by Thailand Minister of Health Mongkol Na Songkhla and Kenyan Minister of Health Charity Ngilu, who praised the Clinton Foundation for its efforts that have given Thailand, Kenya and dozens of other countries the opportunity to expand life-saving treatment and give thousands of people a chance at life.