Aurobindo Launches Cheap Anti-Aids Drug

Aurobindo Pharma, in a bid to make HIV treatment more affordable through government-sponsored institutions, has launched generic versions of anti-AIDS drugs at a price which is lower by about 50 per cent compared with branded versions. The company, which claims to be the only company in the country to have come out with generic versions of anti-AIDS drugs, in a release said that all the 11 combinations that are being available for the treatment of HIV will also available in the generic form.

However, generic drugs are presently offered only through government-sponsored institutions.

Generic versions are made available at a cheaper price since these are exempted from all kinds of duties, the benefit available to life-saving drugs. Another cost advantage for Aurobindo is that it also produces bulk forms of all these drugs.

Aurobindo, which has been supplying branded drugs to all the government-sponsored State AIDS Control societies for the last one year, now hopes to get a major chunk of the institutional purchases.