Aids Health Foundation (AHF) and stakeholders in the health sector have called on top pharmaceutical companies in the world to reduce the cost of HIV and Hepatitis C drugs.
The call according to them will enable patients in developing countries to have access to the drug.
At the event in Abuja held on Tuesday April 4, AHF said pharmaceutical firms like Gilead Sciences, is one of the offenders putting profits before people’s lives, by allegedly refusing to register some drugs in developing countries and consistently blocking attempts to introduce cheaper, generic versions of its medicines.
The Foundation called on the firm to stop evergreening patents on HIV/AIDS drugs like Truvada and also open the license for the generic production of Hepatitis C drug, Harvoni to all low- and middle-income countries.
During the press briefing, AHF Country Program Director, Dr. Echie Ijezie in his address said AHF has a long-running history of advocating and challenging Gilead on its profiteering from the most vulnerable and ill people globally.
He said; “Gilead all too often buys up publicly funded research on new medicines, brings them to market at inflated prices, and rewards its executives with enormous pay packages while delivering above-market stock prices and dividends for its shareholders.”
He said AHF is taking its grassroots campaign global to raise awareness about the shameful practices and calling on the company to sell or licence remdesivir for generic distribution at a non-profit price. He also demanded licence technology for the production of treatment for cryptococcal meningitis to generic manufacturers.
Ijezie said if this is carried out, there will be improved access and the commodities will be affordable, and a lot more countries will be able to manufacture the generic version of these drugs at a cheaper rate.
“Patient communities that are affected stand to benefit a lot, and in the sense that these drugs become more accessible, affordable and even if there are new infections there would not be that worry of the high cost of treatment, particularly with reference to Hepatitis C,” he added.
Also speaking, AHF Africa Bureau, Director of Advocacy, Policy & Marketing, Kemi Gbadamosi, maintained that over the past years, Gilead has been criticized for blocking access to affordable treatment of cryptococcal meningitis – a potentially deadly fungal disease that often affects people living with HIV.
“Gilead holds a patent on the technology needed to produce the drug; therefore, generic manufacturers cannot produce it at a lower cost”.
“Gilead has promised but failed to deliver on a commitment to provide the drug to 116 countries at $16 per vial and has not even registered the drug in these countries, relying instead on local suppliers in countries like India and South Africa, with the price in low- and middle-income countries ranging from $70-$200 per vial.
NINERELA Exective Secretary, Amber Erinmwinhe, on her part said open market is the best way to create access to the drugs and give room for production.
She added that it will reduce the cost of drugs and help low income earners to patronize.
