Bush AIDS plan is using expensive, brand name drugs, rather than keeping its promise to use the lowest cost drugs available

Sep 14 2004

Global AIDS Alliance reacted today to the statement of the Bush Administration regarding its global AIDS programs.

The Administration says it is providing AIDS treatment to 25,000 people through its own programs as well as its contributions to other AIDS programs. This figure represents 1.25% of the goal the Administration announced in January 2003, which was to deliver treatment to 2 million people by 2008.

The Bush plan is using expensive, brand name drugs, rather than keeping its promise to use the lowest cost drugs available. The President's promised "expedited" approval process has yet to review a single generic drug for use in the US program.

"It's disappointing that a year and a half after declaring AIDS a global emergency, we are still just 1.25% towards the treatment goal that had been announced," stated Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of Global AIDS Alliance. "If the Administration had not rejected emergency funding of its initiative last year we would certainly be further along."

The US Congress, in its AIDS authorization bill passed last year, set a goal of 500,000 people on treatment by September 30, 2004. The Administration's performance represents 5% of what Congress had called for at this stage.

Meanwhile, the Administration has undermined the progress of the Global Fund, a multilateral effort delivering resources for AIDS medication to a much broader list of countries. The President has proposed cutting the US contribution to the Fund for 2005 by 64% and done little to convince close allies like Japan and South Korea to give their fair share. The Administration's Global AIDS Coordinator recently said the Fund already had "adequate resources on hand," even though the Fund is so short of available resources that it will likely not be able to issue new grants until 2007. At its November meeting the Fund is expected to cancel the additional grantmaking that had been planned for next year.

The President has also taken steps to curtail competition from low-cost generic medications, even though they are successfully used around the world. Strong-arm tactics by the Administration have already resulted in agreements by many Latin American countries, as well as Morocco and Singapore, to block generics. Thailand, an innovator in the production of AIDS medication, is now under severe pressure to follow suit.