U.S. to change AIDS drug policy
Monday, May 17, 2004 Posted: 7:39 AM EDT (1139 GMT)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. government has opened a new front in the battle over getting cheap AIDS drugs to the poorest countries that need them, saying it will consider approving and providing cheap, multiple-dose generics.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has said the Food and Drug Administration would give fast-track approval to new ready-made, single dose cocktails -- even to copycats made in India.
U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Randal Tobias said any drugs approved under the program could then be used in programs across Africa and the Caribbean, under which the United States is targeting $15 billion in aid to the countries hardest-hit by the epidemic.
Article: http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/conditions/05/17/aids.policy.reut/index.html