University of Minnesota, AIDS Medications, and Capitalism that Kills
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Note: The University of Minnesota holds the patent for the chemical
compound which is the basis for the anti-retroviral drug called Aba-
cavir. Abacavir was developed with federal dollars. The U. of Minne-
sota licenses the drug to GlaxoSmithKline, which sells it as Ziagen.
The University expects to collect more than $300 million in royalties
from its patent on Ziagen, which sells in developing countries around
the world for around $3,500 yearly. This according to a recent arti-
cle in the Wall Street Journal.
The following letter was sent by me to University President Mark Yu-
dof. Those would like to send their own letters could send them to
the following addresses:
University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof: Fax: +1-612-625-3875
Minnesota Daily (student newspaper): Fax: +1-612-627-4159
Minneapolis Star Tribune (local paper): Fax: +1-612-673-4359
with a copy to one of the student organizers of the actions against
the University:
mailto:Adam.C.Sitze-1@tc.umn.edu
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April 13, 2001
Mark Yudof
President
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Fax: +1-612-625-3875
Dear Mr. Yudof,
For the past five years I have directed the Agua Buena Human Rights
Association here in San Jose Costa Rica. Our main focus in on access
to medical treatment for people Living with HIV/AIDS, including anti-
retroviral medications.
I have recently been informed that the University of Minnesota is the
patent holder on compounds used to produce the drug abacavir.
The outrageously high prices of anti-retroviral medications is a re-
ality which we in Central America assumed was the result of policies
of multi-national pharmaceutical companies. Now, students at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota have informed us, that the University is also
profiting from the prices of these medications. It is shocking to me
personally that a University would be involved in this situation,
which is really of genocidal proportions.
Mr. Yudof, if you have been ill, you have probably always been in the
privileged position of receiving the medical care that you needed.
Possibly, you cannot imagine how horrible it is that people should
suffer and die for the lack a few tiny pills whose cost is so greatly
inflated that they cannot afford it. This is wrong, and will be re-
corded by history as one of the great injustices of these times.
I am a Mid-Westerner, born and raised in Chicago, educated at the
University of Michigan, and hopefully familiar with the world in
which you now live, a world in which practically all people are able
to get the medical care that they need.
Please do not allow the University of Minnesota to continue with
policies that are responsible for denying medical treatment to people
in developing countries.
Sincerely,
Richard Stern, Ph.D.
Director, Agua Buena Human Rights Association
San Jose Costa Rica
Tel./Fax: +506-234-2411
mailto:rastern@sol.racsa.co.cr
http://www.aguabuena.org
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Wall Street Journal
New York Times
Glaxo Smith Kline
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun Times
Milwaukee Journal
Minnesota Daily
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