E-DRUG: Prices Cut in Poor Countries
Cheap AZT for Pregnant Moms
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By Dirk Beveridge The Associated Press
N E W Y O R K, March 5 _ Drugmaker Glaxo Wellcome PLC said today it
will slash the price of the AIDS drug AZT for pregnant women in poor
countries to help minimize the spread of the deadly disease to their
infants.
The Glaxo plan marks the first time a giant drug company has cut the price
of an AIDS drug in order to get it to the developing nations most affected
by the disease.
Ninety percent of the people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, live in
the Third World, according to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Program on
HIV-AIDS.
Researchers say that giving AZT to pregnant women who suffer from HIV can
sharply cut the chances their babies will be born with the disease.
$800-$1000 Price Slashed
The treatment can cost between $800 and $1,000 in U.S. hospitals, where it
is now routine. Under the new plan, the drug will be three to four times
cheaper in the developing world.
About 600,000 children worldwide died last year of AIDS contracted from
their mothers, and UNAIDS said 550,000 infants are infected at birth every
year.
In 1994, researchers found that giving AZT to pregnant women infected with
HIV for several months prior to birth could reduce transmission of the
virus to infants by two-thirds.
Two weeks ago, researchers in Thailand found that a shorter treatment_just
three weeks of AZT pills given to women daily_halved transmission rates.
Study Led to Discounts
It was that finding that prompted London-based Glaxo to cut its price,
according to a report today in The Wall Street Journal.
Glaxo Wellcome said it decided to offer the discounts following discussions
with officials from UNAIDS and other health officials.
"Our commitment is not only to support an effective public health
initiative, but to offer pricing that satisfies World Health Organization
and World Bank standards for cost-effective medical care," said Peter
Young, a Glaxo Wellcome vice president.
"This reflects our commitment to continue working with the international
donor community and national governments to find ways of reducing the
number of new infections and improving the care of people with HIV-AIDS in
developing countries," Young said.
Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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