The battle for access to drugs

TRT-5’s start in 1992 was not simple: gradually, it was necessary to overcome the rivalries that might have existed between some organizations, to get to know each other, to establish new lines of work and define the ways of working together. Slowly, TRT-5 began to take shape as an informal working group where medical questions were discussed or collective decisions taken through a consensus. Over the following years, the conflicts with the pharmaceutical companies would bring the group even closer together. When for the first time TRT-5 asked for early access to new investigational drugs they were met with the systematic refusals from pharmaceutical companies. Yet the group was not discouraged and instead became more solid and prepared for action. Gradually, the synergy built up by the actions conducted by TRT-5 and its member organizations began to defeat the resistance of the companies, that finally accepted to set up compassionate access to d4T, 3TC and other protease inhibitors. This success will gave strengths to TRT-5 and contributed to giving it a place in the French activist scene.