Seattle Post - Intelligencer (May 11, 05:30 AM) We were impressed by the thoroughness of your Friday article about the global AIDS crisis.
One key fact not mentioned, however, was that the Bush administration's AIDS program is headed by Randall Tobias, a former CEO of the Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Co. It is no wonder the administration refuses to allow the use of generics by programs funded by U.S. money, despite the fact that generics are up to five times cheaper than their brand-name counterparts.
Arguments questioning the safety of the generics are nonsense. The most common triple fixed-dose combination that has been used in the field for years by the Doctors Without Borders has been certified by the World Health Organization after meeting stringent international standards for quality, safety and efficacy. These generics are manufactured by the same pharmaceutical labs that produce hundreds of generic medicines used in the U.S. and Europe everyday. Unlike the drugs produced by U.S. pharmaceutical companies, generics are easier to take, as all three drugs are administered in one dose. Theoretically, this would increase adherence to the drugs, reducing risk of resistance.
The president's priority is to protect profits for the big drug companies, not to treat a greater number of people infected people with AIDS.
Megan McLemore
Sharon Garrett
Northwest Coalition for AIDS Treatment in Africa
