Cipla to Offer Inexpensive Antifungals

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Cipla to Offer Inexpensive Antifungals, Other Drugs to Treat

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

Indian generic drugmaker Cipla announced last week that it is

planning to supply " affordable drugs " to treat opportunistic

infections resulting from AIDS, Reuters reports. Cipla Chair Y.K. Hamied said

that the company is looking to " broaden its initiatives in AIDS treatment. "

According to Hamied, Cipla, which currently supplies antiretroviral

drugs to African nations for less than one dollar per day, has also offered

to conduct clinical trials of a U.S.-developed AIDS vaccine in India

and is planning to offer " cheap " home HIV detection kits worldwide. " If

we're approached, we can also supply drugs to treat cancer, pneumonia

and tuberculosis in AIDS patients at a fraction of international prices, "

he said. Cipla will now begin offering generic fluconazole, the

medication in Pfizer's antifungal treatment Diflucan, at a price of

10 cents per tablet, a " small fraction " of Pfizer's price.

An inspection of Cipla by a U.N. team last month could assist the company in its

plans to supply AIDS drugs, Reuters reports. " We had our facilities inspected

by the United Nations' Children's Fund, and we're likely to be an

approved supplier through them of [AIDS drugs] to countries where patents

don't apply or where they've expired, " Hamied said. Thus far, about 25

countries have begun importing AIDS medication from Cipla (Reuters,

12/13).

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