A locally made generic version of Efavirenz, one of 17  drugs in the cocktail used by HIV patients, should be approved  and ready for use in Brazil’s widely acclaimed AIDS treatment  program by early next year, the Health Ministry said. “It’s a historical mark for Brazil’s pharmaceutical  industry and Brazil’s public health,” Health Minister Jose  Temporao said at a news conference in Brasilia, the capital. “This could be the basis for future innovative initiatives  by (Brazil) in this field.”    Brazil, which provides free treatment to all AIDS patients,  declared Efavirenz in the public interest in 2007. That allowed  it to invoke a clause in World Trade Organization rules and  sidestep a patent held by U.S. pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co  Inc. Since then, Brazil has been importing a generic version of  the drug made in India, helping it cut costs significantly. Efavirenz now accounts for 4 percent of the Health Ministry’s  AIDS drug budget, down from 11 percent in 2006. The cost of the Brazilian generic still has not been  determined but Temporao said it would be well below Merck’s  price and close to what the ministry pays for Indian generics. About 80,000 of the 200,000 Brazilian HIV patients take  Efavirenz as part of their treatment. Brazil has a long history of butting heads with foreign  pharmaceutical giants, often threatening to break patents if  they refuse to lower prices on AIDS drugs. Earlier this month,  Brazil rejected a patent request for another AIDS drug made by  U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc, citing public health concerns. “What we want is that Brazil is treated and seen in a  strategic way by the industry,” Temporao said. After climbing in the 1990s, Brazil’s HIV infection rate  has steadied at around 0.5 percent and the number of new cases  and deaths have been declining. Experts attribute the success  to the government’s promotion of condoms, free treatment, and  the use of generic drugs.
Brazil to make generic version of key AIDS drug.