E-DRUG: MSF and Brazil agree to export generic ARVs
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[From the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report; see kaisernetwork.org
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Doctors Without Borders and Brazil Sign Letter of Intent to Export
Brazil's Anti-AIDS Model, Generic Drugs
Doctors Without Borders President Bernard Pecoul and Brazilian Health
Minister Jose Serra yesterday signed a letter of intent stating that
the not-for-profit group would work with Brazil to export the coun-
try's successful anti-AIDS model and its state-produced generic anti-
AIDS drugs to other developing countries, Reuters/New York Times re-
ports. Despite having 210,000 AIDS cases, Brazil has limited HIV in-
fection to less than 1% of the population through an "aggressive"
prevention program, which also provides free AIDS medications to all
HIV-positive citizens. The government produces eight of 12 patented
antiretroviral drugs generically at the state-owned factory, Far-
Manguinhos, over the objections of many pharmaceutical companies.
Doctors Without Borders intends not only to export the prevention
model and Brazilian-produced generic drugs but also to teach other
developing nations how to set up their own generic drug factories.
"One of the aspects is exporting the drugs, but it's also to imple-
ment training, production of generics and help with distribution lo-
gistics," Pecoul said, adding that nations such as Argentina have the
resources to develop their own programs, while other countries in Af-
rica and Central America may have to "pool resources" to start re-
gional programs. The group will also purchase drugs from Brazil for
its own programs, but Pecoul "emphasized" that it was not a "commer-
cial operation" (Reuters/New York Times, 9/13).
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