Merck & Co reduces AIDS/HIV treatment prices in developing countries
Merck & Co., of New Jersey, US, has reduced the price of its HIV/AIDS medicine Stocrin (efavirenz) in the world's least developed countries and those hardest hit by the epidemic.
Merck & Co., of New Jersey, US, has reduced the price of its HIV/AIDS medicine Stocrin (efavirenz) in the world's least developed countries and those hardest hit by the epidemic.
The price of the 600mg formulation has been reduced by 20% to US$0.76 per day (US $277.40 per patient per year) from $0.95 per day. The 200mg formulation has been reduced by 22% to $0.36 per capsule ($1.08 per day and $394.20 per patient per year) from $0.46 per capsule.
The changes, which mark the fifth anniversary of the company's worldwide HIV/AIDS pricing policy, have been made possible by an improved manufacturing process which resulted in "new efficiencies and cost savings". Initiated in March 2001, the policy maintains the prices (in developing countries) of Merck's two current HIV/AIDS medicines, Stocrin and Crixivan indinavir sulfate), at a non-profit making level. At the end of 2005, nearly 500,000 patients in 76 developing countries were being treated with antiretroviral regimens containing one of these two medicines.
"This announcement of further price reductions by Merck is very welcome," said Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "The cost of antiretroviral therapies from both research-based and generic pharmaceutical companies has declined dramatically in recent years. We hope that this trend accelerates as the global community gears up to come as close as possible to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care for all who need it by 2010."
In order to qualify for the new prices, countries must be in the low category of the Human Develop-ment Index (HDI) - as defined by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) - or in medium HDI countries with an adult HIV prevalence rate of 1% or greater, as reported by UNAIDS.
For medium HDI countries with an adult HIV prevalence rate of less than 1%, the 600mg price will be reduced to $1.91 per tablet per day, or $697.15 per patient per year, and the 200mg price to $0.75 per capsule, or $2.25 per day and $821.25 per year.