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GlaxoSmithKline further lowers the price of HIV/AIDS medicines
05 September 2002. GlaxoSmithKline Press Release.
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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced that it has further reduced the not-for-profit preferential prices of its HIV/AIDS medicines by up to 33% and its anti-malarial medicines by up to 38%.
The price reductions are the latest stage in GSK's efforts to improve healthcare in the developing world through preferential pricing, community investment, and research and development of medicines and vaccines for developing world diseases.
"We are today delivering on our commitment to review prices for these essential medicines for patients in 63 of the world's poorest countries." said Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). "We are also expanding our existing initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa to find appropriate ways to offer not-for-profit prices to core public employees such as teachers, nurses, police and fire-fighters not covered by health insurance, and to private employers who do not have their own workplace clinics."
GSK has also stated it will supply these medicines at not-for-profit prices to all projects fully financed by the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. In addition, it is seeking regulatory approval for special packaging to differentiate the preferentially-priced medicines sold under its access initiatives.
The price reductions are the result of a review of manufacturing costs and of increased economies of scale. They are intended to build upon the significant progress in GSK's developing world healthcare initiatives, which were outlined in "Facing the Challenge", published in June 2001. "Facing the Challenge - One Year On", published in July 2002, summarised developments in three key areas: preferential pricing, community investment and R&D.
Preferential Pricing:
GSK sets a single, sustainable, not-for-profit, preferential price for each of its anti-retrovirals and anti-malarials to eligible customers in the Least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainable preferential pricing means setting prices at levels that meet the company costs and ensure a sustained supply of these medicines for as long as patients need them.
Since June 2001 GSK has:
- Achieved a ten-fold increase in shipments of preferentially priced Combivir to the developing world.
- Secured 115 arrangements to supply preferentially priced HIV/AIDS medicines to 42 countries, including some of the world's poorest.
-Granted a voluntary licence to Aspen Pharmacare for the manufacture and sale of ARVs in South Africa.
- Set up pilot projects in 5 African countries to assess the impact of preferential pricing of a broader range of products.
In addition, in 2001 GSK supplied over 540m vaccine doses at significant discounts to UNICEF, WHO, PAHO and GAVI.
Community Investment:
GSK has a long history of supporting community investment programmes that have the potential to make a difference where it matters most.
Since June 2001 GSK has:
- Donated the 100 millionth preventative treatment to support the Global Alliance to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.
- Continued antenatal consultation programmes for prevention of mother-to-child transmission in 7 African countries through the GSK France Foundation.
- Launched the African Malaria Partnership - a grant awarding initiative that supports behavioural development aspects of malaria control programmes.
- Supported 21 international HIV education, care and community support programmes in 27 countries with 19 partners through Positive Action, the Company's long-term partnership with HIV/AIDS communities worldwide.
Research & Development:
GSK is the only company involved in R&D for both the prevention and treatment of all three top priority diseases of the WHO - malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS.
Since June 2001, GSK has:
- Begun the first human clinical trials of its HIV candidate vaccine.
- Approved 18 new clinical trials in developing countries in conjunction with other partners. These are part of a total of 35 clinical trials involving HIV medicines in developing countries.
- Dedicated its research facility at Tres Cantos in Spain to research new and improved treatments to fight diseases of the developing world.
- Begun paediatric malaria vaccine trials in the Gambia, which are being extended to additional centres in Mozambique in 2002.
Re-emphasising the need for global partnerships, Dr Garnier said "GSK's approach on improving access to medicines is based on partners working together to establish a sustainable framework for improved healthcare in developing countries. This framework includes pharmaceutical industry commitment to preferential pricing, as well as government support for intellectual property protection and prevention of both diversion and price-referencing of preferentially-priced medicines.
"We will continue our efforts to improve healthcare in the developing world, and strengthen our initiatives by applying lessons learned while we look for opportunities to do more," Garnier said. "We challenge other stakeholders to expand their efforts as well, engaging in partnership, showing political will and, above all, committing significant new funding. Our ability to help improve health care and quality of life for large numbers of patients across the developing world depends on it."
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. |
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