The HIV/AIDS crisis: Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines


Page Index

CPTech Page on Second Generation Antiretrovirals

CPTech Page on the World Health Organization

Page on Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Antiretrovirals.

CPTech page on Kaletra.

CPTech Documents

UN Agency Documents

US Government Documents

Other Government Documents

NGO Documents

Latin American Price Negotiations - June, 2003

Pharmacia Offers Voluntary License for Delavirdine, Pfizer Squelches Deal

On January 24, 2003 Pharmacia offered to issue voluntary, non-exclusive licenses to the patent rights to its antiretroviral drug delavirdine (sold as Rescriptor in the US) to generic firms. According to the Pharmacia press release, the offer applies to "countries with a per capita Gross National Income of less than $1,200 or an HIV infection rate of more than 1 percent." A five percent royalty would apply to all generic sales. Delavirdine is not frequently used in HAART regimes.

Pfizer acquired Rescriptor in April through its purchase of Pharmacia. In November it announced it was pulling out of the deal.

Roche Price Reductions for Nelfinavir and Saquinavir

On February 13, 2003, Roche announced price cuts for two protease inhibitors. Effective March 1, the price per pack of 270 (250mg) tablets of Viracept will be 300 CHF (220.25 USD) in "Low income countries and Lower middle income countries - as classified by The World Bank," and it will be 90.90 CHF (66.74 USD)in "All countries in sub-Saharan Africa and all UN defined Least Developed Countries." The price of 270 (200mg) tablets of Invirase will be 300 CHF (220.25 USD) in the low and middle income countries and 95.40 CHF (70.04 USD) in sub-Saharan Africa & LDCs. (US Dollar amounts are based on the Feb 14 exchange rate of 0.7342.) For information over the pricing deal Roche reached (under threat of a compulsory license) with Brazil, see the CPTech Page on Brazil.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Lawsuit Against GlaxoSmithKline

July 1, 2002. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation sues GlaxoSmithKline, claiming that some of its patents for antiretrovirals are invalid, and that the cost of AZT, 3TC and Ziagen "exorbitantly exceed its costs of licensing, manufacturing and distributing."

Indian Generic Antiretrovirals

Single-Pill Combination Therapy

Misc. Resources

News Stories, General


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