About Us Portfolio Press Careers Sitemap Advertise Contact Us Make this your Homepage

Custom Search

Register

Sign In

Sign In Using Facebook

Home » AIDS/HIV News

US AIDS Clinics Ban Merck Reps Over Drug Costs

by Rajshri on January 26, 2010 at 7:41 PM AIDS/HIV News

Merck Pharmaceuticals has been accused of of price-gouging its AIDS treatment Isentress by the largest US HIV/AIDS health care provider, which has banned the drug giant's sales reps from its clinics in protest.

US AIDS Clinics Ban Merck Reps Over Drug Costs

Related Links

"We've banned representatives from Merck Pharmaceuticals from calling on our physicians in our clinics, which is a common marketing strategy. We are instituting this ban largely because of the egregious pricing policies for their key AIDS drug, Isentress," Ged Kinslea, communications director for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), told AFP.

"The drug is a good drug, it has fewer side effects... but it is the single most expensive first-line anti-retroviral treatment for AIDS available in the United States and the developing world," said Kinslea.

An annual course of Isentress costs in the region of 12,870 dollars in the United States, according to AHF.

In Africa, the continent the worst-hit by the global AIDS pandemic, Isentress costs "about 1,100 US dollars per patient, per year and that's about 20 times more than other AIDS drugs in Africa," said Kinslea.

Isentress was brought to market in the United States in 2007 as a so-called salvage therapy drug -- a treatment for patients for whom other AIDS therapies have not worked or who only sought treatment in the late stages of illness, AHF said.

Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Isentress as a first-line treatment for AIDS, "but the pricing remains at the expensive, salvage-therapy price," said Kinslea.

Page 1

Page 1 | 2

Next

Individuals With Back Pain can be Helped by Smooth and Integrated Movement Patterns

Studies Say Exercising Regularly may Help People Age Better

More News on: Oral Health And AIDS, Drug Toxicity, AIDS/HIV, AIDS/HIV - Epidemiology, AIDS/HIV - Clinical Features, AIDS/HIV - Health Education, AIDS/HIV - Prevention And Transmission, AIDS / HIV - Treatment, AIDS/HIV- Lab Tests and Faqs, Prostitution: Fresh Stakes in the Oldest Trade

Comment & Contribute

Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters
	Notify me when reply is posted I agree to the terms and conditions
Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished. Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Pozitivity

01/26/2010

I think it is about time that someone ban these practices. All of these life-saving drugs are overpriced, definitely in America. We want health care reform, but they have so much money to fight any kind of real reform because of their unfair practices. If we could stop these companies from doing these ridiculous things it would help everyone. A years worth of Atripla in America costs around $14,400, so this is not the first medication which has outrageous costs.

Reply | Forward

Medwonders Health Network

Support Groups Members Discussions

Total Members - 54953
Support Groups - 445

Health News Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Latest News Most Popular Most Commented

Imogen Thomas Seeks Hypnotherapy To Get Rid of Cake Addiction

Website To Promote Premarital Virginity Launched in China

Excessive Consumption of Phosphate Pose Risk To Health

RSBY to Provide Health Insurance for 66,000 J&K Families

Same-sex Couples in US can Now Access Health Insurance

News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :

News Quick Links

	News Central			Health Watch
	Latest Health News			Health In Focus
	News Category (500+)			Breaking Health News
	Popular News			Celebrating Life
	Health News and Press Release			Medindia - Exclusive
	News Photo Gallery			India Special
	News Video Gallery			Lifestyle and Wellness
	News From Other Resources

AIDS

Complete Medindia Resources

News Categories:


»	RSBY to Provide Health Insurance for 66,000 J&K Families

»	Same-sex Couples in US can Now Access Health Insurance

»	Bill on Insurance Premium for Farmers Approved by Poland Cabinet

»	Co-contribution On The Rise For Group Insurance

»	Obama Takes Mid-way Out of Contraception Health Insurance Row
More Insurance News

AIDS/HIV Related News
»	AIDS Drug Venture in South Africa Worth $208 Million	»	Men Need More Attention in HIV Prevention
»	Study Sheds Light on Psychiatric Symptoms and Functional Outcomes in HIV-Infected Youth	»	20% Gay, Bisexual Men Unaware About Their HIV Positive Status
»	Strained Global AIDS Fund Moves Focus Ten Years On	»	Scarce Access to Anti-Retrovirals for DR Congo HIV Patients
»	Research Says Pet Love Helps Women Cope With HIV/AIDS	»	Saliva HIV Test as Accurate as Blood Test for HIV: Study

Read More >>

Accident and Trauma Care Support Group	Acupuncture Support Group	AIDS - Initial Theories and Disease Progression Support Group
AIDS / HIV - Treatment Support Group	AIDS/HIV Support Group	AIDS/HIV - Clinical Features Support Group
AIDS/HIV - Common Opportunistic Infections Support Group	AIDS/HIV - Epidemiology Support Group	AIDS/HIV - Health Education Support Group

US AIDS Clinics Ban Merck Reps Over Drug Costs

Medwonders Health Network

AIDS/HIV Related News

Consumers

Medical Professionals

Medical Students

Directories