E-drug: Sources and prices of HIV/AIDS medicines and diagnostics
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Dear E-Druggers,
We would like to inform you that the May 2003 report of "Sources
and Prices of Selected Medicines and Diagnostics for People living
with HIV/AIDS" was released on 26 June 2003. The report provides
market information on 74 reviewed products for the treatment and
management of HIV/AIDS from 61 manufacturers. It gives
purchasers of AIDS medicines and diagnostics a range of choices
related to suppliers and affordability. The medicines included were
selected on the basis of WHO standard treatment guidelines. The
list is not exhaustive but covers the most commonly used
HIV/AIDS medicines, with paediatric forms included wherever
possible.
This report is the fourth in a series of annual publications of
sources and prices surveys commenced in 1999 by UNICEF,
UNAIDS, WHO and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The present
edition is the result of a survey carried out from December 2002
through to February 2003, of 388 manufacturers in 50 different
countries.
The report includes antiretroviral (ARV) medicines, medicines used
to treat a range of opportunistic infections, medicines for use in
palliative care, medicines for the treatment of HIV-related cancers
and for the management of opioid dependence. It also provides
information on a range of test kits for the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS.
A new section has been added on the registration status of
products in the survey. This information will be useful for countries
in the process of granting market authorization to HIV/AIDS related
products.
Finally, the latest edition of an MSF document, "Untangling the
Web of Price Reductions: a pricing guide for the purchase of ARVs
for developing countries" has been included as an annex to provide
a comprehensive overview of the prices of ARV medicines offered
by research-based pharmaceutical companies and some generics
manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries.
The French and Spanish versions of this report are expected to be
available by August 2003.
Sources and Prices 2003 can be found on the following web sites:
UNICEF: <http://www.unicef.org>
UNAIDS: <http://www.unaids.org>
MSF: <http://www.accessmed-msf.org>
WHO EDM: <http://www.who.int/medicines>
WHO HIV/AIDS: <http://www.who.int/HIV_AIDS>
and also as the WHO Fact Sheet Series on: Drug Price Information
Services: Wat is WHO doing to improve drug price information
http://www.who.int/medicines/organization/par/ipc/drugpriceinfo.shtml
Hard copies are available from the above organizations.
On behalf of the collaborating organizations,
Marthe M Everard
Technical Officer
Policy, Access, and Rational Use (PAR)
Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy (EDM)
World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
CH-1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Tel : # 41 22 791 3835
Fax: # 41 22 791 4167
E-mail: everardm@who.int
www.who.int/medicines
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