Glaxo to Cut Prices in Poor Countries

GlaxoSmithKline has announced further price cuts for its AIDS and malaria medicines, its latest response to the public outcry over the lack of cheap, life-saving drugs for poor countries. The British company said it will cut the prices of its HIV/AIDS drugs by as much as 33 percent and the prices of its malaria drugs by as much as 38 percent in developing countries. Glaxo CEO J.P. Garnier said the company was following up on an earlier pledge to "review prices for these essential medicines for patients in 63 of the world's poorest countries." The price cuts had become possible because of lower manufacturing costs and economies of scale, Glaxo said. The company said it plans to expand its efforts to supply the newly priced drugs in sub-Saharan Africa to core public employees, including teachers, nurses, police and fire fighters not covered by health insurance, and to private employers that do not have their own work-place clinics.

Back to other CDC news for September 6, 2002

Previous Updates