Brazil, Gilead Agree on AIDS Drug Price Cut

On Tuesday in Brasilia, the Health Ministry announced a deal under which Gilead Sciences will cut by half the price of its AIDS drug tenofovir, saving Brazil $15.2 million annually. Health Minister Agenor Alvares said the agreement not only guarantees Brazil's supply, but also "brings considerable savings that must be used in the acquisition of other drugs." "We are in negotiations with all of the producers of antiretrovirals" for price reductions, he said. Brazil has seen a 40 percent drop in AIDS deaths since 1996, when it launched a program to ensure free drug treatment for everyone with HIV/AIDS. Recent data indicate that in 2005 the government distributed 17 AIDS drugs to 170,000 patients at a cost of $411 million. Brazil makes eight of the drugs; the remainder are imported. The country has pressed for price cuts since 2002. Last year, it secured a price break on Abbott Laboratories' drug Kaletra.

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