The EATG welcomes the ATAC Pharmaceutical Company HIV/AIDS Report Card (Oct 6, 2009)
The EATG strongly welcomes the publication of the report on the pharmaceutical industry released on September 10th 2009 by the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition’s (ATAC)* Drug Development Committee.
According to the ATAC’s press release, the report “ranks the nine largest pharmaceutical companies with HIV/AIDS drugs on the market (Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman La Roche, Merck & Co., Pfizer and Tibotec) in five categories: drug development portfolio and plans, access to drugs, pricing, community relations and marketing practices.” The companies were issued a letter grade from A-F for each of the five categories as well as a final grade average. The average final grade the companies have received in this ranking exercice was a C. The report concludes that “the majority of pharmaceutical companies are not developing innovative, new long-term treatment options that offer improved efficacy, safety and tolerability when taken over decades”.
The EATG very much welcomes the constructive approach taken by its American colleagues and fully endorses the report card’s recommendations on how the pharmaceutical industry can improve its corporate social responsibility in this area.
The EATG shares ATAC’s aim of its report card project to ultimately lay out a clear course of action for companies to take in their HIV/AIDS drug development efforts, from which would greatly benefit not only the companies, but also patients. Since 1997 the EATG regularly meets with pharmaceutical companies to defend the interests of people living with the HIV/AIDS, by:
- reviewing clinical trial protocols from the point of view of people living with HIV;
- promoting best practices, procedures and ethical considerations;
- promoting universal access to fair, sustainable, affordable HIV drugs and
- promoting research developments improving the quality of life for people living with the HIV.
*The AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC) is a national non-profit AIDS advocacy group working to end the AIDS epidemic by advancing research of HIV/AIDS. The organization brings together people with HIV/AIDS, government, industry and academia in matters affecting research, treatment and access.
More information on the ATAC Pharmaceutical Company HIV/AIDS Report Card: http://www.atac-usa.org/atac-pharmaceutical-report-card.html
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