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E-DRUG: MSF on generic ARVs/FDCs
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[Letter to International Herald Tribune, see
www.iht.com/articles/512972.html
Copied as fair use. WB]
Generic drugs for fighting AIDS
Friday, April 2, 2004
Since the release of President George W. Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief, the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and former CEO of Eli Lilly,
Randall Tobias, and other Bush administration officials have made public
remarks that question the quality of generic antiretroviral drugs and
undermine international quality standards set by the World Health
Organization.
M�decins Sans Fronti�res is deeply concerned that the Bush administration
will stand in the way of countries and programs wishing to use funds
provided by the Bush plan to purchase affordable quality medicines in
general, and triple "fixed-dose combinations" in particular, despite the
fact that they are generally three to five times less expensive than the
brand name versions. These generic drugs have been
certified by the WHO by meeting stringent international standards for
quality, safety, and efficacy, and are manufactured by the same
pharmaceutical labs that produce hundreds of generic medicines used by
Americans every day.
Fixed-dose combinations of antiretroviral drugs are widely recognized as a
key element to efforts to scale up AIDS treatment in developing countries.
Based on M�decins Sans Fronti�res's experience delivering antiretroviral
therapy in resource-poor settings, we have become strong advocates of triple
fixed-dose combinations. Our clinical results thus far are encouraging.
WHO-recommended triple fixed-dose combinations are available only from
generic producers because the patents of the three individual compounds are
held by three different companies.
Despite mounting evidence, the Bush administration appears to be ignoring
the fact that these newly adapted tools in the fight against AIDS exist
today and are being widely used in treatment programs that are saving lives.
There is no medical or scientific basis for the Bush administration's
attacks against WHO prequalified medicines, and the United States is
isolated in its view that WHO-prequalification standards are not sufficient.
We call upon the United States to join the international consensus by
allowing its grantees to procure
quality generics, including fixed-dose combinations, and by supporting the
WHO prequalification project. We cannot stress enough how disruptive it will
be if the United States fails to do so.
The only possible explanation we can imagine for the Bush administration's
current position on procurement of quality-assured generic medicines is that
it is more interested in protecting the interests of the pharmaceutical
industry than it is in expanding antiretroviral treatment to the largest
possible number of people. We would like to be proven wrong.
Ellen 't Hoen,
Interim director, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines,
M�decins Sans Fronti�res
Geneva Switzerland
[forwarded by]
Kate Evans
Program Associate, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
333 7th Ave, 2nd Floor *New York, NY *10001-5004*USA
Tel: +1-212-655-3773
Fax: +1-212-679-7016
E-mail: kate.evans@newyork.msf.org
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org
http://www.accessmed-msf.org
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