The Gay Men's Health Crisis' Ronald Johnson is among the health advocates not wanting to jeopardize pharmaceutical companies' slashing of AIDS drugs prices in Africa by pushing for similar discounts in the United States. Individual state efforts to pressure for lower drug prices are hampered by the fact that federal law does not give them the leverage to refuse to buy drugs that they think are too costly. Jeff Trewhitt, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, also notes that drug companies' research and development budgets could be compromised if substantial AIDS drug price reductions were implemented throughout the world.

Other CDC News for March 23, 2001

Mortality, CD4 Cell Count Decline, and Depressive Symptoms Among HIV-Seropositive Women U.S. Drug Buyers Unlikely to Seek Deep Discounts on AIDS Medicines Congress Looks to Step Up Fight Against AIDS and Other Diseases Overseas TB Cases Increase Despite Cheap Medication: WHO	AIDS Panic in China Leads to Draconian Measures Health Tips: Physicians Should Screen for Chlamydia Disney: No Risk to Visitors From Employee With TB Tuberculosis Treatment Interruption -- Ivanovo Oblast, Russia Federation, 1999 and Evaluation of a Directly Observed Therapy Short Course Strategy for TB Disease -- Orel Oblast, Russia, Russian Federation, 1999-2000
World TB Day -- March 24, 2001