Abbott AIDS drugs for Africa "at no profit"

26 March 2001

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.

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