GENEVA, Switzerland, May 19 U.S. Newswire — Hudson Institute's Center for Science in Pubic Policy released its second study on the full cost of HIV/AIDS treatment today, during the 58th meeting of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Full costs include AIDS drug prices, poor medical infrastructure, the quality and safety of drugs, and drug resistance. The center's first study, "Myths and Realities on the Prices of AIDS Drugs," was published in May 2004.
"This study confirmed previous findings that the price of AIDS drugs is a small part of the full cost of HIV/AIDS treatment," said Dr. Carol Adelman, director of the Center for Science in Public Policy and the study's co-author. "The most important barriers to effective HIV/AIDS treatment lie not in prices or patents but in adequate medical infrastructure, use of unproven drugs, and in increased drug resistance."
The second study again illustrates that of the 18 most commonly used antiretrovirals, the prices of patented drugs are generally less expensive than the price of the same copy drugs, or fall well within the low-high price range of all copy drugs. The exception is Nevirapine, which is actually donated to mother-to-child transmission programs in developing countries.
Government policies such as taxes, tariffs and health system capacity problems continue to complicate the delivery of drugs, the study found. The rise in use of sub-standard and counterfeit medicines is quickly becoming a significant hindrance to providing effective treatment to patients in developing countries.
The study found that the consequences for using both sub- standard and counterfeit medicines will be a major factor by the year 2010 with additional costs to both donors and national HIV/AIDS programs. "It is time for the international community to make responsible use of medicine a priority in order to mitigate drug resistance from occurring on a large, world-wide scale," said Jeremiah Norris, senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the study's co-author. "These patients deserve to be treated with responsible medicine."
The study, available at http://www.hudson.org, comes as the World Health Organization hosts its 58th annual World Health Assembly in Geneva. The study's authors are available for comment and interviews.
© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770
Home |