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Mixed reaction to offer of cheaper AIDS drug

    JOHANNESBURG

    There has been a mixed reaction to the move by a US-based pharmaceutical company to allow drug manufacturers to sell cheaper versions of its HIV/AIDS drug in poor countries.

    Pharmacia Corporation announced on Friday that it would allow generic drug makers to sell cheaper versions of its AIDS drug, Rescriptor, in poor countries.

    However, international medical organisation Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) says that Pharmacia’s announcement was a "good news, bad news story".

    "This drug is not recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is not on the essential medicines list of the WHO," MSF communications officer, Daniel Berman told Reuters.

    South African AIDS lobby group, the Treatment Action Campaign, yesterday said Pharmacia’s announcement was a "positive move".

    "We want to see more non-exclusive deals along the lines of Pharmacia's agreement," TAC’s national manager Nathan Geffen told UN news service PlusNews.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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