This World AIDS Day, support key legislation and make a lifetime of changes. The Prize Fund for HIV/AIDS Act proposes to reduce the cost of new HIV/AIDS drugs, making them more accessible to everyone. Limiting monopolies on patents would make low-cost generics immediately available and would also encourage the sharing of knowledge, spurring innovation and increasing participation in research. The bill also proposes to de-link research and development costs from new drug prices.
Legislation has helped reduce out-of-pocket expenses through Medicaid and the creation of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). With 1 in 5 HIV/AIDS patients uninsured, a reported 50,000 new diagnoses each year have strained the ADAP, leaving thousands waiting for lifesaving medications. Why hasn't legislation been passed to limit the cost of beneficial drugs instead of continuing to throw money at the problem? When pharmaceutical companies claim billions of dollars for drug development and raise prices to recoup expenses, it's time to change the system.Thomas Jefferson wrote that we should share ideas from one to another for the improvement of man's condition. It's time we followed this sage advice by supporting legislation like the Prize Fund for HIV/AIDS Act.-- Tina E. Collins, DallasHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
