Brazil Withdraws Threat To Produce Generic AIDS Drug
RIO DE JANEIRO-The Brazilian government has reached a tentative deal with Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche to purchase the generic version of the AIDS drug Nelfinavir.
The South American country announced last week it would begin producing the drug in state-owned laboratories for sale January 1, 2002 because a deal had not been reached with the company. Brazil is one of the only countries in the world to guarantee treatment for all AIDS patients, including a free-of-charge program. Nelfinavir is part of the drug cocktail offered by the government for patients in need. They provided the drug to some 90,000 patients last year alone.
The Brazilian minister of health said the government was glad to have reached a deal with Roche, which will now sell the drug at a 40% reduced rate. The government will pay $35 million each year for the drug and ensure the company continued patent protection.
The Brazilian government had previously agreed to purchase other AIDS pharmaceuticals with New Jersey-based Merck after the company reduced rates of two medications by 70%.
The deal between the Brazilian government and Roche comes after 6 months of negotiations.
Brazil has the highest rate of AIDS infection in Latin America, with 210,5000 people infected.
Information from www.washingtonpost.com
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
