Pricing of new AIDS drug applauded by FPC

The San Francisco, USA-based Fair Pricing Coalition, an ad hoc coalition of hundreds of community AIDS organizations, medical facilities and concerned individuals, has applauded the pricing of Tibotec Therapeutics' new protease inhibitor for the treatment of people with advanced AIDS and resistant HIV. The Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the drug, called Prezista (TMC114; darunavir), late June 23 (see also page 19).

A spokesperson for the Coalition, Martin Delaney of Project Inform (a nationally-known HIV treatment information and advocacy organization), said: "we are very pleased with this drug for two reasons. First, it is a very important addition to the arsenal of drugs for treating HIV, perhaps the most potent drug yet for people who have developed resistance to other therapies. But just as important, we are pleased that Tibotec Therapeutics has reversed a years-long trend toward ever higher prices by the pharmaceutical industry. The last three drugs approved for HIV each set new and dramatically higher pricing thresholds, making it more and more difficult for public and private payers to keep up with the demands for care. After lengthy discussions, Tibotec finally priced their drug within pennies of the cost of the least expensive of the other new drugs and far below the most expensive. It has finally reversed the juggernaut of higher pricing and acted as a responsible corporate citizen."

But some say price could be lower still