# E-DRUG: HIV trials in developing countries (cont'd) **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [February 20, 1998, 10:29am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-hiv-trials-in-developing-countries-contd/2155 "1998-02-20T10:29:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![David\_Gilbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b782af/32.png) [@David\_Gilbert](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/David_Gilbert)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 1998, 10:29am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-hiv-trials-in-developing-countries-contd/2155/1 "1998-02-20T10:29:23Z")
E-drug: HIV trials in developing countries (cont'd) ---------------------------------------------------- Dear e-druggers, Am I stupid? Or missing something here? The previous info about the HIV drug mentioned that "This is commonly called the "076 regimen," after the number assigned to the federal study that proved it effective....But the 076 regimen is expensive -- $800 per patient, including the infusions and drugs for the babies -- and too complicated for use in the Third World, where access to medical care is poor...." My question is, even if the drug is so much cheaper now (and that's great news I think), don't the 'complications' (eg. health care infrastructures?, dosage regimens? need for support? staffing resources?) mean that it may not help much. I heard somewhere several years ago that ORT for diarrhoeal disease has, in some cases, meant that public health policy makers have found it easy to ignore sanitation issues, etc. Is this true? In other words, am I being stupid or are 'breakthrough treatments' (even cheap ones) a mixed blessing? What do people think? Yours in curiosity David Gilbert cndgilb@kehf.org.uk -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.