The Clinton Foundation announced today they'd gotten those monsters at Pfizer and Mylan to lower the cost of some drugs for TB and HIV in the "developing world" to just, in the case of TB, $1 a dose. (That'll go over really well in countries like Haiti, where the average individual income is something like $1 or $2 a day.). But still-something that should have happened actually happened!
For the first time, a second-line regimen of four [antiretrovirals] will be available for under $500 annually. Additionally, the cost of a key drug for treating tuberculosis (TB) in patients using second-line ARVs has been reduced by 60 percent, to $1 per dose.Just think! For 100% of your annual income, you can have AIDS drugs now. ("You" being "really poor person.") But yes. In reality, however, this means that NGOs and health care agencies-and "leveragers" such as such as UNITAID-can actually afford to distribute these drugs, so, yay.
What is monogamy, Alex?
So really the problem is still capitalism on a global scale?
yes. i try not to think about it.
Speedy!! I remember the last Act-Up demo I took part in before I moved to Spain (in Sept. 1989)was on Wall Street, right in front of the Stock Exchange, and was precisely about lowering the price of AIDS drugs (I think AZT had just come out).
Can't rush things.
What can't Bill Clinton do these days?
He can't get Hillary pregnant.
My God, it's like the time when George Costanza swore off sex and became a genius! Pretty soon, he'll get the Washington Nationals to play .400 ball!
Obviously Hilary clicked the link to "Stop Bad Teen Behaviour".
If it's good enough for Bill it's good enough for me.
These things still do cost money to produce. So one of the things the Clinton Foundation has done in Africa is work with the drug companies to reduce the actual production costs.
Economies of scale also come into play so they've been instrumental in collecting lots of smaller orders (say across different countries) into bigger lots so they can negotiate lower prices.
Anyway, servicey post for the day!