# \[e-drug\] OXFAM: Generics, prices and access to medicines **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [July 13, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-oxfam-generics-prices-and-access-to-medicines/14691 "2002-07-13T09:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mksmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mksmith](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/mksmith)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-oxfam-generics-prices-and-access-to-medicines/14691/1 "2002-07-13T09:26:36Z")
E-drug: OXFAM: Generics, prices and access to medicines ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 July, 2002 Generic competition leads to dramatic drop in price of AIDS medicines Research published today by Oxfam clearly shows that the availability of cheap generic medicines in developing countries plays a significant role in cutting the price of patented antiretrovirals (ARVs) and in increasing the number of patients who have access to the lifesaving medicines. The research tracks the price of brand name drugs in Uganda from May 2000 to April 2002 . Despite the fact the big five pharmaceutical companies had agreed under the Accelerated Access Initiative to reduce the prices of ARVs, it was the introduction of generic equivalents from India in October 2000 that led to an dramatic fall in the price of the brand name medicines in the country. We had been promised price cuts since May 2000 and did not see them until we started to import generics in October?, says Dr Cissy Kityo, Deputy Director of the Joint Clinical Research Council in Uganda. Prices fell by as much as 78% within a couple of months and up to 97% over the two years. The largest decreases were for Stavudine/ D4T. A 40mg monthly dose fell from $173 in May 2000 to $23 in February 2001 and then eventually to $6 in April 2002. At the same time, the numbers of patients taking ARVs at one treatment centre alone increased by 200 per cent within a year. 28 million people in the developing world are HIV positive and 6 million need treatment with ARVs now. This research shows that with generic medicines, more people can afford the life-line that antiretrovirals already provide to AIDS sufferers in richer countries. Any plans to combat AIDS in some of the world?s poorest countries must include the use of generics and we must ensure that countries are allowed to continue to import them?, says Dr Mohga Kamal Smith of Oxfam. Under WTO rules, Uganda will no longer be able to import generic versions of newly patented medicines after 2005 because countries that manufacture generics such as India will no longer be allowed to export them. Rich country trade ministers committed themselves at Doha in November last year to find a solution to this problem by the end of 2002 but they are backsliding on this pledge by putting forward temporary, impracticable and highly restrictive solutions. For media enquires and copies of the report in Barcelona contact Adela Farr�, +34 626 992 057, or Dr. Mohga Kamal Smith, + 44 77762 55884. In UK, contact Tricia O'Rourke on 01908 233 273 or 07989 965 359. Oxfam Briefing Paper No. 26: Generic competition, price and access to medicines ? The case of antiretrovirals in Uganda www.oxfaminternational.org -- To send a message to E-Drug, write to: e-drug@usa.healthnet.org To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@usa.healthnet.org in the body of the message type: subscribe e-drug OR unsubscribe e-drug To contact a person, send a message to: e-drug-help@usa.healthnet.org Information and archives: [http://www.healthnet.org/programs/edrug.html](http://www.healthnet.org/programs/edrug.html)