In a three hour session held February 5th, at the World
Community Advisory Board (World CAB) meeting in San
Francisco, Christopher Murray, Director of the
Pharmaceuticals Division for the Swiss Phamarceutical
Company Hoffman La-Roche, which makes the anti-retroviral
protease inhibitor Viracept, said that price reductions for
the product are "not negotiable." World CAB is a coalition
of AIDS activists from around the world. 28 activists from
20 countries attended the three day San Francisco summit,
where meetings were also held with other companies which
produce anti-retrovirals.

Viracept is an important second line anti-retroviral which
sells for $889 per person per year in Sub-Saharan Africa,
and some other low income countries, but Roche's price
jumps to over $2,900 per person per year for lower middle
level income countries including many countries in Eastern
Europe, Asia, North Africa, Latin America, and the
Caribbean Viracept is patented in many of these countries.

Murray acknowledged that the $889 per year price is Roche's
not-for-profit price and that the company's profit on
Viracept is over $2000 per year per person in lower middle
income countries. In countries classified by the World Bank
as "higher middle income," a total of 34, the price is over
$4,800 per year, or more in some cases, and profit would be
nearly $4,000 per year per person.

'Breathtaking Indifference'

Mark Harrington Director of the Treatment Action Group
(TAG) in New York blasted Murray, commenting that "in over
fourteen years of meeting with representatives of the
Research and Development based pharmaceutical industry, I
have never seen an example of such breathtaking
indifference to the plight of people living with AIDS as
that displayed by Roche's Christopher Paul Murray at the
World Cab meeting. His basic message to PWA's was 'if you
can't pay our prices, its a matter of indifference to us
whether you live or die.'"

Said Indian activist Subha Ragahvan "I was shocked by
Roche's position. Its as if they wrote off the whole Indian
sub-continent with a wave or Murray's hand."

According to Murray, who distributed his own biographical
sketch to participants as the meeting began, "UNAIDS and
WHO asked us to offer a preferential price for Southern
Africa and we have complied, there is nothing more to say."
According to Murray's biography "throughout his 27 year
career at Roche, he has been involved in issues and
problems related to healthcare delivery in developing
countries in Asia and Africa." Said James Kamay from the
Kenya Treatment Access Movement: "The Roche representative
was saying 'you pay you live, the choice is yours, we are
not a charitable organization.'" In the meeting, Kamay had
pointed out to Murray that Roche's price structure would
result in deaths even in Africa where $890 a year is still
completely unaffordable.

'Sub-standard Clinical Trials'

The activists also focused on Roche's Thailand based
Clinical trials with their $25,000 per year drug T-20
(Fuzeon) in a country where the drug will never be
available because of its price. According to TAG's
Harrington, the cocktail used by Roche in its Thailand
trial is sub-standard HAART, (Highly Active Anti-retroviral
Treatment) and would never have been approved under
standards for studies that currently exist in the US and
Europe. Karyn Kaplan of the Thai AIDS Treatment Action
group promised "immediate action," adding that "Roche
flaunts ethical standards in its clinical trials on poor
people. Roche is testing Fuzeon in a sub-therapeutic
combination without making it affordable to the local
community."

'Rolake Nwagwu from the Treatment Action Movement in
Nigeria stated that "if you appoint a representative to act
on your behalf, than you are accountable for their actions
and liable for their misdeeds. For Roche to stand aloof,
unconcerned and try to absolve itself from atrocities
commmited in clinical trials is totally unacceptable.

At the close of the meeting with Roche, Lei Chou of the
AIDS Treatment Action Coalition commented to Murray and
other representatives from Roche that at some point history
would judge Roche for "Crimes Against Humanity." At that
point Murray packed up his things and the meeting ended.
John Day from the National Association of People Living
with HIV from Australia echoed Chou's sentiments: "To stand
by and watch people die from AIDS when these deaths are
preventable is a crime against humanity and the drug
companies have a great deal to answer for."

'Total Disrespect towards PLWA'

Mauro Guarinieri of the European AIDS Treatment Group
(EATG) was especially critical of Murray's demeanor in the
meeting,, saying "Mr. Murray's position on pricing and his
unwillingness to validate a group of advocates from all
over the world was totally disrespectful to the Global
Community of People Living with HIV/AIDS."

Countries represented by activists at the meeting included
Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Thailand, India, Namibia, Egypt.
Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Italy, United
Kingdom, Indonesia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Australia,
Jamaica and the United States.

*Richard Stern is Director of Agua Buena Human Rights
Association, San José¬ Costa Rica