Paraguayan AIDS Organization Receives Aid From Brazil To Manufacture Generic AIDS Drugs

Brazilian officials will give a Paraguayan AIDS organization $100,000 each year to manufacture generic versions of patented AIDS drugs, EFE News reports. The assistance will be administered through a health program sponsored by the Brazilian government that helps other countries provide treatment for people with HIV/AIDS (EFE News, 10/9). The Brazilian government announced in July that it would donate some of its self-produced generic AIDS drugs and share the technology it uses to derive and manufacture the drugs with developing nations that cannot afford the drugs at their commercial price. Under the program, Brazil will provide $1 million in donated drugs and technical assistance to other developing countries (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/10). The Fight Against AIDS program in Paraguay will receive a $100,000 annual assistance package to help cover the costs of manufacturing medicines, training and technology transfer, Nicolas Aguayo, director of the program, said. Aguayo added that the aid will allow the organization to produce medicines at 70% to 80% below current costs. Approximately 2,000 people in Paraguay are HIV-positive, and 300 of them are currently receiving antiretroviral drugs free of charge through Fight Against AIDS. Aguayo said that the aid from Brazil will allow the group to offer free medical assistance to an additional 60 people (EFE News, 10/9).