E-DRUG: Colombia asks lower prices for lopinavir/ritonavir from Abbott
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dear E-druggers,
Under pressure from civil society groups since July to issue an open
compulsory license for the HIV/AIDS treatment lopinavir/ritonavir
(LPV/r, Abbott's Kaletra and Aluvia), the Colombian government
demanded Abbott Laboratories drop its Colombia Kaletra price to $900,
or, at the most, $1000 – the same price Brazil, Ecuador and other
countries in the region pay. To date, Kaletra prices for Colombia's
many drug purchasers range from $1,680 (for a very few select public
programs) to more common prices around $3,600, and some that approach
$5,000.
Abbott refused Colombia's request, citing the high cost of importing
medicines to Colombia. It's not immediately clear why importing to
Colombia should be more expensive than to other countries of the
region, and no specific justification for this claim has been
publicly revealed. The Colombian health ministry has launched an
investigation, and has twice sent agents to Abbott's offices to
review receipts and independently account for Abbott's expenses.
On May 2, a health ministry committee will recommend to the health
minister whether to issue a finding that access to lopinavir/
ritonavir is in the public interest – a finding that, according to
Colombian regulations, should lead to a compulsory license.
Meanwhile, a new Clinton Foundation agreement announced Friday with
three generics firms offers LPV/r in partner countries for $470, and
Peru recently obtained LPV/r from Eske Group – a Cipla affiliate –
for the low price of $396, not much more than 10% of Abbott's most
common Colombia prices. Even Abbott's $1,000 regional "access" price
is oppressive by comparison.
Given the clear price benefits of generic competition and the
continued challenges of providing adequate access to HIV/AIDS
treatment in Colombia, it would appear hard to justify a finding that
access to LPV/r is not in the public interest, and that Abbott should
be allowed to maintain its monopoly. Many civil society groups from
around the world have written in to support the compulsory license
request. All the same, it is not clear how the health ministry will
rule. But the government's challenge to Abbott's price practices is
a welcome sign of political change in Colombia, and part of mounting
international intolerance for Abbott's monopoly abuse.
Portafolio, an economic news journal, carried some of this
information in the article below (in Spanish).
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Peter Maybarduk
Essential Action
peter.maybarduk@essentialinformation.org