Brazil Seeks Cheaper Drugs

Millions of people are suffering from HIV or AIDS; you would think that people are somehow finding ways to provide the medicines necessary for these people to deal with the epidemic. Many countries are third world or developing countries that are unable to provide these medications, but those that can provide pills for its citizens now want cheaper pills? Brazil is making negotiations with the U.S Pharmaceutical Company Abbot Laboratories that would cut the price of pills for the country from just $1.17 a pill to 63 Cents. Brazil currently provides Free AIDS treatment for those that need it. Most AIDS patients use Kaletra and the amount spent is well over $107 million per year on this drug alone. Brazil is trying to cut this budget down and that is why they want to make this deal. They have been threatening to break Abbott Laboratories patent if they do not lower the price. However, Abbot states that Brazil has already received the drug at the lowest price in the world outside of humanitarian programs for Africa. If an agreement can be reached then it will go into affect as of early February 2006. Brazil is also in negotiations with other pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of other antiretroviral medicines that are also used by Brazil. If a deal is not made then Brazil will look for other countries to provide similar “knockoff” versions of the pill. Either way people will be provided with medication but what about other developing countries with thousands of people dying everyday from AIDS? When will pills be provided for them?