Clinton supports patent grab by Brazil, Thailand

Former US President Bill Clinton has endorsed actions of the military government in Thailand and Brazil in issuing compulsory licenses for patented drugs (see page 15). At a press conference for the Clinton Foundation, which negotiates bulk orders of generic versions of second-line antiretrovirals, he accused US drugmaker Abbott Laboratories of being "almost alone in its hard-line position here over what I consider to be a life and death matter." The firm's Kaletra (lopinavir), an antiretroviral protease inhibitor, is being offered in Thailand for $1,000 per patient, a deal so far rejected as inadequate by the Thai authorities (Marketletters passim).

The Clinton Foundation claims to offer a generic equivalent of Kaletra for $695. India-based generic drugmakers Cipla and Matrix Laboratories will supply antiretrovirals in over 60 countries under the deal. The Foundation argues that such deals also provide leverage for developing countries to negotiate lower drug prices with research-based drug companies for branded products.

The Clinton Foundation's agreement will cut the cost of second-line antiretrovirals 25%-50%. People with HIV/AIDS in more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean are intended to benefit from the agreement. Mr Clinton said seven million people in the targeted countries need treatment for HIV/AIDS, but cannot afford it.