NEW DELHI, India and LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), operator of free HIV/AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia -- including three in India (in New Delhi, Mysore and Koppal) -- met with generic manufacturer CIPLA CEO, Dr.Y.K. Hamied in Mumbai, India yesterday. Dr.Chinkholal Thangsing, AHF Asia Pacific Bureau Chief and Terri Ford, AHF Director of Global Advocacy presented Dr. Hamied with concerns regarding the current high price and inaccessibility of CIPLA’s new one-pill-a-day antiretroviral treatment ‘Viraday.’
Dr. Hamied explained that the high price of ‘Viraday’ is, in part, due to excessive custom duties and taxes imposed on CIPLA by the Indian Government on drugs distributed within India.
“AHF and CIPLA agree that there should be concessions from the Indian Government to exempt such duties and taxes for HIVAIDS drugs,” said Dr. Thangsing. “With more than 5.7 million people estimated to be living with HIV in India there is an urgent need for the government to assist companies like CIPLA and organizations like AHF in making lifesaving ARV drugs available to the people. We agreed to work on a joint strategy to address these issues immediately in collaboration with the government and other advocacy groups in India.”
CIPLA invited AHF to submit a pricing proposal on the ARV drugs that CIPLA manufactures, including ‘Viraday.’ AHF expects to have a proposal ready shortly in order to begin negotiations with the generics-manufacturing giant.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
CONTACT: U.S., Ged Kenslea, Communications Director, +1-323-860-5225, orcell, +1-323-791-5526, gedk@aidshealth.org, or Lori Yeghiayan,Communications Specialist, +1-323-860-5227, or cell, +1-323-377-4312, bothof AIDS Healthcare Foundation; or INDIA, Chinkholal Thangsing, MD, AsiaPacific Bureau Chief of AHF Global (New Delhi), +91.11. (0) 98.1827.0687,chinkholal.thangsing@aidshealth.org; or The NETHERLANDS, Henry Chang,Executive Director of AHF Global (Amsterdam), int’l cell, +1-917-400-8900,henry.chang@aidshealth.org
