Out-of-court settlement brings cheaper AIDS drugs

A recent out-of-court settlement has led to two multinational drug manufacturers agreeing to expand licensing of their patented anti-AIDS drugs to South African generic manufacturers. In a statement the country's Competition Commission said it would in return drop a year-long probe into whether the companies had overcharged for their AIDS drugs. Calls for the probe came in September when Hazel Tau, an HIV-positive woman, complained that GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim had contravened part of the Competition Act by abusing their dominant position in the manufacturing of anti-AIDS drugs. Following the agreement, Competition Commission head Menzi Simelane said significantly lower prices for antiretroviral drugs were now expected.