'Cipla, Tell the Truth'; AIDS Healthcare Foundation Launches New A...(their key AIDS drugs Reyataz and Stocrin...),Health

American and middle-income countries. Mexico, which is classified as an

'upper middle-income' country, has a gross national income (GNI) of USD

$6,790 annually, while the average annual per person cost of

antiretroviral in the country is USD $8,000 (for treatments that can

cost as little as USD $150 in Africa), making these lifesaving AIDS

regimens all but unaffordable for nearly all those living with HIV/AIDS

in Mexico. The Mexico advocacy campaign is ongoing.

-- Over the past four years, AHF has targeted Abbott Laboratories

regarding several of its global AIDS drug pricing and access policies.

AHF is currently targeting Abbott for its recent cold-hearted and

punitive access policies in Thailand regarding its drug combination,

Kaletra. In January, the government of Thailand issued a compulsory

license for the manufacture and import of a generic version of the

drug; the move prompted Abbott to withdraw all new drugs, including

Aluvia, a heat-stable tablet formulation of Kaletra, from the official

governmental approval and registration process in Thailand. In July

2007, AHF praised the government of Brazil for negotiating a 30%

discount on Abbott's Kaletra. Brazil had also threatened to issue a

compulsory license for Kaletra. Separately, in 2004, AHF had protested

and filed a lawsuit against Abbott in response to a five-fold price

hike the company instituted on its AIDS drug, Norvir. The suit was

later settled.

-- AHF has repeatedly called on the pharmaceutical industry as a whole to

cut prices and increase access to AIDS therapies globally. In July

2006, AHF officials, who had earlier met with Gilead Sciences

executives, praised the drug company after Gilead announced plans
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