| | |  Health & Beauty | October 2008 
AHF'S AIDS Drug-Pricing Campaign Arrives in Abbott Executives' Home Mailboxes
 Business Wire
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AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which operates four free treatment clinics in Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Tuxtla Gutierrez and Pachuca) today stepped up its campaign to prompt Abbott Laboratories, Inc. to lower the price for its key AIDS drug Kaletra in Mexico. A direct mail piece arrives this week in Chicago-area mailboxes, specifically targeted toward the company's executives, employees and neighbors. In an innovative advocacy approach, AHF's public affairs staff utilized publicly-available political campaign contribution records to zero in on the zip codes of Abbott's top executives and rank-and-file employees, to ensure that this key group of stakeholders are made aware of the company's latest shameful act: exploiting NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) to charge five times more for its key AIDS drug Kaletra in Mexico than in other middle-income countries.
The postcard, which arrives in North Chicago-area mailboxes this week, features a photo of Abbott CEO Miles D. White with the headline "Shame on Abbott." On the back of the card, a timeline of Abbott's drug-pricing policies details the company's history of conflicts with national governments and global HIV/AIDS advocacy groups over its refusal to offer affordable pricing for its lifesaving medicines. Included is the company's current exploitation of patent protections in NAFTA to charge Mexico $5,400 a year for Kaletra, a key second-line treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, while charging $1,000 per year in Brazil-a country with a similar economy to Mexico. In the piece, AHF calls this policy "one of the worst examples of Abbott's terrible record on AIDS," stating that "without affordable pricing for Kaletra in Mexico thousands of lives will be lost."
"We believe that it is time for Abbott's AIDS drug-pricing abuses in Mexico to be brought to the attention of their employees and local community members many of whom may not be aware that the company is abusing NAFTA's patent protections to charge five times as much for Kaletra in Mexico as it does in other middle-income countries, keeping this lifesaving drug out of reach for nearly all those living with HIV/AIDS in Mexico," said Michael Weinstein, AIDS Healthcare Foundation President. "AHF's hope is that this raised awareness among Abbott's employees and neighbors will help bring about an end to Abbott's price-gouging policy in Mexico that shamefully places profits ahead of saving lives."
"Many patients' lives here in Mexico depend on access to drugs such as Kaletra that are available elsewhere at a much lower cost," said Patricia Campos, M.D., AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Latin America Bureau Chief, who is based in Mexico. "We strongly urge Abbott to immediately lower the price of Kaletra in Mexico to equal the price offered to Brazil in order to ensure that people in need in Mexico are not priced out of such potential lifesaving AIDS treatments."
Following is the full text of AHF's 'Shame on Abbott' direct mail piece:
Front: Shame on Abbott (Background: Large photo of Abbott CEO MilesD. White)
Back: Abbott's Price Gouging in Mexico Puts Profits Ahead of Saving Lives
2003 To increase profits for its new AIDS drug Abbott considers replacing the old drug with one that an executive admitted, "tasted like vomit." (1) Instead, Abbott gouges AIDS patients by raising the price of the old drug by 400%.
2006 Abbott is condemned by AIDS groups for failing to make its new drug Aluvia available in developing countries.
2007 After a dispute with Thailand over the high price of AIDS treatment Abbott refuses to make its new medicines available to the people of Thailand.
2007 Abbott sues an AIDS organization protesting Abbott's unfair pricing.
2008 Abbott abuses NAFTA to force Mexico to pay over $5,400 for its AIDS drug, Kaletra, while it charges other middle-income countries such as Brazil $1,000. This is one of the worst examples of Abbott's terrible record on AIDS. Without affordable pricing for Kaletra in Mexico, thousands of lives will be lost. For more information, please visit www.aidshealth.org.
(1) Inside Abbott's tactics to protect AIDS drug, Wall Street Journal, January 03, 2007
In Latin America, AIDS Healthcare Foundation currently provides free anti-retroviral treatment to people in need through its clinics in Mexico (in Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Tutxla Gutierriez, State of Chiapas and Pachuco, State of Hidalgo) and in Guatemala (Quetzaltenango).
About AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS organization. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 85,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org.
Contact
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Lori Yeghiayan, 323-860-5227
Mobile: 323-377-4312
lori.yeghiayan@aidshealth.org
or
Ged Kenslea, 323-860-5225
Mobile: 323-791-5526
gedk@aidshealth.org
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