Chamber Applauds Brazil's Resolution of AIDS Drug Issue

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce applauded the Brazilian government for working with a U.S. pharmaceutical company to resolve a dispute over the price on a key HIV/AIDS treatment that threatened to establish a harmful precedent for the protection of intellectual property rights and strain trade relations between the two countries.

"We salute the spirit of partnership and dialogue that resulted in this win-win decision" said Thomas Donohue, Chamber President and CEO. "In the end, by working together, we were able to help Brazilians suffering from AIDS get vital medicines at an affordable price, support the Brazilian government's AIDS program and protect intellectual property rights."

The Brazilian government had threatened to break Abbott Laboratories' patent on the HIV/AIDS drug Kaletra unless Abbott agreed to halve its price by July 7. The threat was a substantial escalation in the HIV/AIDS debate between the Brazilian government and the research-based pharmaceutical industry, according to the Chamber. Under its ultimatum, Brazil would have issued a compulsory license to Brazilian government laboratories, allowing them to market copies of Abbott's drug.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

# # #

05-119