Cipla gets a pat on the back from Nobel laureate

Cipla gets a pat on the back from Nobel laureate
DEV CHATTERJEE

MUMBAI, FEB 21: Nobel laureate in Economics, Prof Amartya Sen had some good words for Indian pharmaceutical firm Cipla which is making its anti-Aids drug available to the poor people of the world at a highly discounted price.

The drug has been made available by Cipla at a "humanitarian" cost to some African countries which is far lower than the price charged by multinationals like Glaxo.

Prof Sen commented on Cipla's drug in a public lecture organised by Sir Dorab Tata Trust in Mumbai on Tuesday. ``I came to know that Cipla is making its anti-Aids drug available at an affordable price to the poor people of the world... this kind of measures will go a long way to reduce inequality in the world and will make health care more affordable to large masses,'' he said while talking about the effects of globalisation in the country.

Exhorting India to invest more in healthcare and in primary education, Prof Sen said Cipla example showed that Indians are an integral part of the world and can play an important role in world trade and commerce.

A raging controversy is currently on the London-based, Glaxo which makes the anti-AIDS drug is a target for pressure for lowering prices, especially in the area of HIV/AIDS drugs where it is the largest supplier. Glaxo had even objected to Cipla donating Aids drug to Ghana and had warned Cipla against "patent infringement".

UK charity Oxfam, which has targeted GSK in a global campaign to bring down the cost of AIDS and other drugs in the developing world, said the "fabulous" profits generated by Glaxo in year 2000 highlighted the need to make medicines more affordable in poor countries.

LONDON: Meanwhile, GlaxoSmithKline Plc said on Wednesday it was taking steps to increase access to discounted HIV/AIDS drugs in poor countries by supplying medicines to a range of non-profit-making bodies.

Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Garnier told a conference call that the world's biggest drugs company by sales would offer HIV drugs at heavily discounted prices to any not-for-profit organisation able to deliver medicines to patients in developing countries. GSK has drawn fire from charities who are calling for wider access to cheap drugs in poor countries.