E-DRUG: Activists import generic fluconazole into South Africa
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[copied as fair use from IOL press at
http://www.iol.co.za/html/frame_news.php?set_id=1&click_id=125
where you can see South African press cuttings on health issues.
WB]
Rebels show smuggled drugs cost R100 less
By Judith Soal
A cut price consignment of essential medicines was smuggled into
South Africa this weekend to highlight the inflated prices of
pharmaceuticals in this country - but the company that
manufactures the drug has threatened to take those responsible to
court.
Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) leader Zackie Achmat returned
from Thailand with 5 000 fluconazole tablets, a tablet used for
infections associated with HIV, which he bought for R1,78 each.
Chemists in Cape Town charge R124,84 for the same drug (just
over R100 with cash discount).
The state pays manufacturer Pfizer R28,57 for fluconazole, and the
private sector pays R80,24.
"We want to expose the profiteering by pharmaceutical companies
who are abusing their patents to condemn people to death from
illnesses that are treatable," Achmat said on Tuesday.
"Fluconazole is an extreme example but there are many others,
including drugs to treat other diseases like cancer."
Fluconazole is protected by a patent in South Africa, so generic
manufacturing is not allowed and the company is able to set its
own price. Biological equivalence studies on the generic made in
Thailand, known as Biozole, have shown it to be as effective as the
original. To ensure the safety of local users, Achmat has an
analysis certificate for the batch he brought into the country.
"We have a network of doctors and pharmacies who will use these
drugs to save lives, and we will get more when we need to," he
said.
The project has been dedicated to Christopher Moraka, a TAC
member who died recently with the infection that is cured by
fluconazole. "Christopher testified before the parliamentary health
committee before he died about the need for fluconazole and the
inflated prices charged by the drug company, so we are doing this
in his name," Achmat said.
Cape Town doctor Barbara Kaparakis, who works in city council
clinics, said fluconazole was extremely effective in treating
candidiasis of the throat.
"It makes such a difference to patients; without it they can't eat
and just get weaker and weaker. After one treatment they are able
to go back to work and get on with their lives."
But the drug isn't distributed to clinics because of the cost.
"Of course I would love to be able to use the fluconazole Zackie
has brought, but I'll have to ask my boss," she said on Tuesday.
Kaparakis' boss, city health manager Ivan Toms, said he would
have to ask the Medicines Control Council, since the generic isn't
licensed in South Africa.
State HIV and Aids director Nono Simelela said doctors could not
use the smuggled drugs: "It would be irresponsible and against the
law."
The government is negotiating with manufacturer Pfizer about the
company's offer earlier this year to provide fluconazole free to the
state to treat patients with cryptococcal meningitis - but not the
more commonly occurring candidiasis of the throat.
Simelela said these negotiations were "far advanced".
"We understand that people are getting impatient but they should
not take the law into their own hands, it could be dangerous."
Pfizer communications director Konji Sebati said from New York on
Tuesday the company would stop TAC distributing the drug as
"they are breaking our patent rights".
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