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Out-of-court settlement brings cheaper AIDS drugs

    JOHANNESBURG

    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.

    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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