NINE DRUGMAKERS AGREE TO REVIEW ARV PRICES

Executives from nine pharmaceutical companies have agreed, at the request of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to review the prices of their antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to make them more affordable and accessible. At a meeting at UN headquarters in New York aimed to encourage drugmakers to widen access to ARVl treatment in low- and middle-income countries, Annan urged the companies to lower their drug prices.

The companies agreed to prioritize the research and development of pediatric ARVs and diagnostic tools; register their drugs and diagnostic tools in as many countries as possible, including developing countries; sustain negotiations with third-party manufacturers to make drugs affordable; and invest more in researching and developing new HIV-related drugs and diagnostics.

The meeting marked the first time Annan in the past five years has included generic drugmakers in discussions. Executives at the meeting represented Aspen Pharmacare, Aurobindo Pharma, Becton Dickinson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Hetero Drugs, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Ranbaxy Laboratories.