Chicago -- The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) is hosting a one-day summit April 6, 2004, in Washington, DC, to address policy and economic issues relating to access to HIV care and treatment in the United States.

The daylong summit, "Examining the PHARMACOEconomics of US AIDS Drug Access," will feature short presentations and open discussion around five primary questions:

• What is the current state of AIDS drug access in the United States?
• What is the economic value of combination AIDS drug therapy?
• What goes into decision-making around AIDS drug pricing?
• What is the impact of AIDS drug pricing on public and private sector payers?
• Should we rethink current laissez-faire policies toward AIDS drug pricing?

Particular emphasis will be placed on determining practical legislative, advocacy, and public and private sector actions to improve HIV/AIDS drug access in the United States.

"Growing constraints on both public and private coverage of medical care in the United States is a matter of shared concern for patients, care providers, advocates, and policy-makers," said IAPAC President/CEO Jose M. Zuniga.

"With specific regard to HIV disease, the financial strain created by an increased armamentarium of available antiretroviral drugs, spikes in drug pricing, and stagnant government funding for safety-net programs such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), warrants focused debate, discussion, and action."

In addition to Zuniga, panelists will include Michael Allerton, HIV Operations Policy Coordinator, Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente; Patrick G. Clay, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Missouri; Joshua P. Cohen, Senior Research Fellow, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development; Lanny Cross, AIDS Drug Assistance Program, New York State; Carol A. Harris, Associate Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Christine Lubinski, Executive Director, HIV Medicine Association; and Benjamin Young, Clinical Instructor, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Individuals interested in participating in this summit are asked to request an invitation by emailing IAPAC Director of Global Health Policy, Scott A. Wolfe, at swolfe@iapac.org. Due to limited space, it may not be possible to honor all requests. There is no registration fee for the summit, and a catered lunch will be provided to participants. However, IAPAC is unable to cover expenses relating to travel and accommodations.