Brazil: Gilead Cuts Tenofovir Price in Half

Summary: A U.S. activist campaign, centered in the San Francisco area near Gilead's headquarters, helped get this major price reduction for Brazil's model HIV treatment program.

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In May 2006 Gilead Sciences agreed to cut the price it charges to Brazil for tenofovir by half.

For ten years Brazil has run a program to provide antiretroviral treatment to all Brazilians who need it, greatly reducing AIDS deaths. Many of the drugs are manufactured in Brazil but others are imported, and a handful of these, previously including tenofovir, have created a major financial strain. Brazil spends over $400 million a year to provide antiretrovirals to 170,000 people.

Contributing to the price reduction was a model U.S. activist campaign, asking people to politely call corporate board members, and urge them to use their influence to help make medicines available worldwide. For more information see
http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/brazil/brazilaidsmeds.html
(written before the price reduction was announced).

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