Cipla cuts AIDS drug price

November 17, 2006

Reghu Balakrishnan, Wednesday, November 15, 2006 21:47 IST

MUMBAI: Mumbai-based pharma major Cipla is reducing the price of

Viraday, its one-pill-a-day anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS.

The drug was launched in India last month.

The decision follows a meeting Cipla officials had with AIDS

Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which operates free HIV/AIDS clinics

worldwide, this week.

AHF had asked Cipla to cut the price of the drug by half to make it

more affordable. Cipla CEO Y K Hamied has agreed to this.

At present, Viraday, a combination of three anti-HIV drugs -

Efavirenz, Tenofovir and Emtricitabine - is sold for around Rs

5,200 per month.

Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia-Pacific bureau chief of AHF Global, told

DNA Money, " Hamied explained to us that the high price of Viraday is

due to the excessive customs duties and taxes imposed on Cipla,

especially for the raw materials. He had informed us that he is in

talks with the government demanding a cut in customs duty. "

Cipla has also asked AHF to submit a pricing proposal on the ARV

drugs that the former manufactures, including Viraday. AHF will soon

submit the proposal, he added.

Recommended Posts