Indian Pharmaceutical Companies to Manufacture Cheaper HIV/AIDS Medicines

The AIDS Society of India today announced that cost-effective HIV/AIDS drugs will be obtainable in the country by October end.Two Indian drug-making Companies will jointly make drugs on HIV/AIDS produced by overseas Companies, which would bring down the price by 75 to 99% as compared to the international market.I. S. Gilada, the Secretary of the society, said that the new drugs will be launched at the 3rd National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2010) slated to be held in Hyderabad from October 29.Drugs like Darunavir, produced by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, will be made by Emcure in India. Emcure has also manufactured new drugs that can be used for children having HIV/AIDS.Gilada said, "There is no medicine which can cure this disease. But now India will have the treatment which can get patient to come out from worst to a better stage".He further said that millions of HIV positive people across the world have a new ray of hope, because of the availability of low cost antiretroviral treatment (ART) that has been designed maintaining the quality standards.He also expressed concern over the growing number of HIV positive patients and acute shortage of full-time doctors in the country.