Tuesday, December 15, 2009

New Merck Deserves Plaudits, Here -- AIDS "Patent Pooling" Efforts


As one of only two or three global pharmaceutical companies that is actively advancing the agenda on so-called "patent-pooling" -- to bring cutting edge HIV treatment combinations within the financial reach of the payors, and more precisely, the charities serving in poorer countries -- I sincerely applaud CEO Clark's noble efforts, on this score.

By way of stark contrast, here, Abbott has been especially slow to come to the table. This effort will not improve margins at any of the companies participating in the "pooling" -- but it is the moral thing to do -- are you getting this, Miles White?

In any event, this morning, Reuters is reporting that UNITAID has voted to fund the treatments -- this will soon be a reality for perhaps millions of AIDS patients in developing world geographies:

. . . .The international health funding agency UNITAID has approved a plan to make treatment for AIDS more widely available in poor countries by pooling patents for drugs, the French-sponsored initiative said.

Pooling patents for treatments for AIDS will make newer medicines available at lower prices for low and middle-income countries, saving more than $1 billion a year, it said in a statement late on Monday. . . .

Spot-on, Mr. Clark -- good show. Now, "Paging Mr. White -- Mr. Miles White. . ."

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