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Pressure on for major drug company

    JOHANNESBURG

    A leading US pension fund has called on multinational drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to cut prices on HIV/AIDS drugs, South African newspaper The Star reported on Wednesday.

    The California Public Employees Retirement System (Calpers), a major GSK shareholder, urged GSK to improve access to HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries.

    Calpers said while GSK had already cut prices in sub-Saharan Africa, it should look at ways of doing more.

    "This should include continued evaluation of the means by which [GSK] can offer the lowest possible price on its HIV/AIDS therapies without long-term harm to the company, and in recognition of the balance you must strike between economics and reputational costs."

    GSK spokesperson, Nancy Pekarek, said the company's education and access plans for Africa were currently under discussion.

    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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