I thought I would share this tidbit of information that I read from the AMA at http://webmail.att.net/wmc/en-US/v/wm/4AA901/. Medicare may begin to pay for HIV testing since "about 19 % of all US residents with AIDS were age 50 or older. Coverage would extend to Medicare beneficiaries who are at increased risk for the infection, including women who are pregnant, as well as beneficiaries of any age who voluntarily request the service."
Also a non profit group called AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition are grading drug companies. Merck received a B "for producing Isentress (raltegravir), the first of a new class of AIDS drugs called integrase inhibitors," and "gave an F to Abbott for raising the wholesale price of Norvir (ritonavir), the first drug proved to increase survival in AIDS patients, by 400 percent in 2003." This information was also provided by the above AMA web site.
It is good to know that there is a coalition of people looking out for those who are infected with HIV. I would like to know the reason they increased the cost of Norvir. I hope that it was not for profit and if so, how much of the profit is going back into the company for research on HIV.
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I tried to use the link you provided but it took me to an ATT website. Perhaps you could go to the actual AMA website and repost. They increased the cost of Norvir because it is a drug that is use to boost other HIV drugs. Of course it was for profit. Drug companies don't make drugs out of the goodness of their hearts. Once Abbott found out their drug would be used to boost the others they saw more dollars coming their way. When AZT was first released for use with people who had HIV - third stage - AIDS, it cost $10,000 per year. However, this drug was made as an anticancer drug, but it didn't work. The research was done in 1960s dollars and they sold AZT for 1980s dollars. They made a killing on the backs of people with HIV.
ReplyDeleteActually, Norvir came out in 1996 and was one of the “kick butt” protease inhibitor drugs in the early “cocktails.” I took this drug for five years from 1996 to 2001. I took 18 capsules a day, 6 at a time 3 times a day. It was wicked stuff that made me feel sick much of the time. I also experienced explosive diarrhea to the point that I kept a change of clothes at work just in case.
ReplyDeleteWith the introduction of newer and less toxic drugs, Norvir fell out of favor, until it was realized that just one to two capsules a day could boost the effectiveness of other drugs, without the severe side effects of the mega doses. This brought Norvir back into HIV treatment, and so Abbot is trying to milk it for what they can.
Got to keep those shareholders happy ‘ya know. ;-)