Coming soon: Cheap HIV\/AIDS medicine<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
People living with HIV\/AIDS (PLWHA) will assure themselves of
\naccess to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs at a cheaper price, perhaps
\neven for free for those who were unable to afford them, starting
\nin January.<\/p>\n
Deputy director of the narcotics division at the Food and
\nDrugs Supervisory Board (BPOM) Lucky S. Slamet said on Tuesday
\nthat local pharmaceutical firm PT Kimia Farma, the appointed
\nmanufacturer of the generic antiretroviral drug, would supply the
\npills at a price of between Rp 450,000 (US$52.9) and Rp 500,000
\nper monthly package.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is currently importing the drug from India at Rp
\n650,000 per package.<\/p>\n
\"BPOM will issue the license for the Kimia Pharma in the
\nmiddle of this month so that it can start producing ARV by
\nJanuary 2004,\" Lucky said.<\/p>\n
During its summit in Doha in 2001, the World Trade
\nOrganization lifted the patent regulations imposed on access to
\nlife-saving drugs on the condition that they will be used for
\nhumanitarian purposes and not for commercial use.<\/p>\n
PT Kimia Farma President Director Gunawan Pranoto said on
\nTuesday that his company was ready to produce 120,000 ARV
\npackages per month (1,440,000 annually) to meet the demand for up
\nto 2,000 PLWHAs, with one PLWHA taking 60 packages per month.<\/p>\n
The government estimates there are 4,000 PLWHA here, while the
\nUN estimates the figure is over 130,000.<\/p>\n
The drug is expected to cost lower as President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri is scheduled to announce on Monday next week the
\ngovernment subsidy worth Rp 200,000 per month.<\/p>\n
Local ARV drug will be distributed among the government
\nhospitals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which will
\ndeliver the medicine to PLWHAs.<\/p>\n
PT Kimia Farma is set to launch its first sample of the drug
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
It will import the raw materials needed to produce it from
\nIndia and South Korea.<\/p>\n
\"It's legal because the regulation only says that India cannot
\nexport its generic ARV drug. It doesn't prohibit India from
\nexporting the raw materials,\" Gunawan told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The antiretroviral drug does not cure HIV\/AIDS, but does
\nprevent the virus from multiplying and spreading in the human
\nbody, allowing their immune systems to recover so that they can
\nlive longer.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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