Abbott Laboratories says it will sell its two protease inhibitors Norvir(ritonavir) and Kaletra (lopinavir plus ritonavir), as well as its Determine HIV diagnostic test, to sub-Saharan African countries for no profit.
The two drugs will be sold for under $1,000 each for an annual supply per patient, Abbott said. This represents a discount of around 70% on the price cut which Abbott previously offered certain African countries in 1998 for Norvir, which currently costs about $7,100 wholesale in the USA. Kaletra's US price is around $6,500 for a year's supply. The price of the diagnostic, about $1.20 in Africa, is expected to be cut 50%.
Unlike the other recent price-cutting offers from AIDS drug majors, Abbott has also set up a distribution procedure for its products. This is being handled from Kampala, Uganda, by Ireland-based Axios International.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
7 day trial access
Become a subscriber
Or £77 per month
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2024 | Headless Content Management with Blaze