Toxic drugs at a cheaper price point, please
More fun times for Gilead
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There is currently a “campaign” against Gilead Pharmaceuticals by AIDS Health Foundation (ADF) India, demanding that Gilead lower their prices on anti-HIV medication to make them more accessible. Consider the following article:
Consider also the following excerpt:
Hyderabad: AIDS Health Foundation (ADF) India has launched a campaign against large biopharmaceutical firms like Gilead to stop overpricing of life-saving drugs and put people before profits. Gilead Sciences Inc. is among the top 15 biopharmaceutical firms in the world, generating over $27 billion in revenue.
"In addition to overpricing lifesaving drugs, it has refused to register some medications in lower-income countries and consistently blocks attempts to introduce cheaper, generic versions of its medicines," said Dr V. Sam Prasad, country programme director, ADF India.
The organisation is working towards raising awareness about Gilead’s practices and calling on them to stop "ever-greening" patents.
Dr Prasad said, "These companies smartly obtain additional patents on the original drug's modifications, such as new dosages, new forms, new releases, or new combinations, on existing HIV/AIDS drugs like Truvada – this is exploitation, not innovation."
So, ADF India is still eager to obtain toxic anti-HIV medication from Gilead—it just wants it at a drastically reduced price point. (Regardless of Gilead’s tactical motivations, it is clear that no interpretation of the facts makes them look like the good guy here.) Given the current lawsuits against Gilead and the manifest harm that has been caused by their products, one could be forgiven for finding this eerily reminiscent of the AZT catastrophe. Unfortunately, the harm wrought by drugs produced by manufacturers such as Gilead is likely to eclipse that of AZT considering their use not only in large swathes of the HIV-positive population, but in HIV-negative individuals as well for PrEP. Just say no.