E-DRUG: Ritonavir available at reduced prices to Southern Africa
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[Abbott has become the 4th drug company to make its public sector
"access" prices available to the private sector. MSD, BMS and BI did
so earlier this year.
GSK and Roche are still charging higher prices in SA's private sector.
Please note that one can only get the cheaper ritonavir through the HIV
Clinicians Society, or after an application with Axios International in
Ireland.
NN]
Axios International has granted members of the Southern African HIV
Clinicians Society (a non-profit, professional association of some 2000
clinicians in Southern Africa, incl. South Africa, Botswana, Namibia,
Zimbabwe) access to Norvir (Abbott's ritonavir, a protease inhibitor), at
not-for-profit prices, in keeping with the announcement that Abbott made
earlier this year [March 2001] to provide qualifying African countries with
more affordable medication.
Axios International, an independent company located in Uganda, is carrying
out the qualification process. It was decided that the quickest way to
extend the program to as many South African recipients as possible, was to
qualify, with one submission form, all members of the society. Other
organizations are welcome to access the program by completing the necessary
forms, and applying to Axios for approval. The forms are available from
Abbott or Axios (see contact details below).
Abbott list price for Norvir Solution (90ml bottle) is R380.79 ex VAT.
The not-for-profit price is R89.71 ex VAT.
The SEC (bottle of 84 capsules of 100mg) is R475.99 ex VAT.
The not-for-profit price is R104.75 ex VAT, a 78% reduction.
With 14% VAT, and an exchange rate of 1 USD = R 8.60, this works out at USD
0.165 per capsule. At a dose of 1200 mg/day, this is USD 1.98 per day, or
USD 722 per year.
[Please note, this is still more than MSD's indinavir (Crixivan), which
non-profit price in SA was already reduced in March 2001 to USD 1.71 per
day, or USD 624 per year.
The cheapest combination in SA's private sector remains d4T+ddI+NVP, which
costs USD 798 per person per year (drug costs alone)]
If there are any questions relating to the program please contact Abbott's
General Manager, Mr Sean McKercher at:
E-mail: seanm@abbottsa.com Tel: +27-11-4947001 Fax +27-11-4947002
The HIV Clinicians Society can be contacted: sahivsoc@gomail.co.za
or +27-11-4822630, fax 4825554.
Axios International can be contacted at:
7 Castlecourt Centre, Castleknock, Dublin 15, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 820 8081 Fax: +353 1 820 8404
Email: Axios@axiosint.com
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