AIDS drugs to be cheaper in S. Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Two AIDS drugs will be cheaper in South Africa from next year as Europe's biggest drugmaker, GlaxoSmithKline, cuts 20 percent off the price.

South Africa has five million people estimated to be living with the disease.

The discount on 3TC (lamivudine) and Combivir, a combination of lamivudine and zidovudine, drugs was announced by GSK to mark World AIDS Day this Saturday.

Under GSK's latest price offer, a month's treatment of Combivir would fall from 1,000 rand to 800 rand ($77.22).

The price of the leading AZT treatment will remain unchanged at around 650 rand for a month's treatment.

"We sincerely believe that our HIV-AIDS medicines will be more accessible to a greater number of people," John Kearney, chief executive officer of GSK South Africa, told Reuters news agency. The price reduction is the latest in a series of offers by the world's biggest drug firms in an attempt to make AIDS drugs more affordable in Africa, where more than 28 million people live with the disease.

GSK last month handed over the rights to the two drugs and its leading AZT treatment in South Africa to a local generic drug firm in an attempt to defuse a continuing row over access to treatment.

However, since then there has been no sign of a deal between generic producer Aspen and the country's health department.

The South African government has refused to distribute antiretrovirals in the public health system on cost grounds despite offers of reduced prices by several drug firms.

President Thabo Mbeki has also questioned the efficacy of antiretrovirals while the health department has said it does not have the necessary infrastructure in place to properly dispense and monitor the use of key AIDS drugs.