No forcing down AIDS drug price

WASHINGTON – The US government is refusing to take steps to in effect force down the spiralling price of an important AIDS drug, saying such an unprecedented move isn’t allowed by federal law.

Wednesday’s decision by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, was a major victory for Abbott Laboratories, which quintupled the price of its AIDS drug Norvir late last year. Patient groups and some members of Congress called the move price-gouging.They had pushed the NIH to intervene by overriding Abbott’s patents, since Norvir’s discovery was partially funded by taxpayer dollars.But the NIH decided Wednesday the law didn’t allow that step, which it said could have had far-reaching effects on the pharmaceutical market.”The issue of drug pricing has global implications and thus is appropriately left for Congress to address legislatively,” concluded NIH director, Dr Elias Zerhouni.- Nampa-APPatient groups and some members of Congress called the move price-gouging.They had pushed the NIH to intervene by overriding Abbott’s patents, since Norvir’s discovery was partially funded by taxpayer dollars.But the NIH decided Wednesday the law didn’t allow that step, which it said could have had far-reaching effects on the pharmaceutical market.”The issue of drug pricing has global implications and thus is appropriately left for Congress to address legislatively,” concluded NIH director, Dr Elias Zerhouni.- Nampa-AP