Cost analysis of antiretroviral agents available in India.
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Date
2015-05
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Abstract
Background: AIDS is one of the most prevalent causes of death due to infectious
origin which requires a lifelong therapy. There is variation in prices of antiretroviral
drugs available in Indian market. Thus, a study was planned to find out variation in
prices of antiretroviral drugs either as a single drug or in combination and to evaluate
the difference in cost of various brands of the same antiretroviral drugs by calculating
percentage variation in cost in Indian rupees.
Methods: Cost of antiretroviral drugs manufactured by different pharmaceutical
companies, in the same strength and dosage forms was obtained from “Current Index
of Medical Specialties” July-October 2014 and “Indian Drug Review” Vol. XXI,
Issue No. 4, 2014. The difference in the maximum and minimum price of the same
drug manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies and percentage variation
in cost was calculated.
Results: Percentage variation in cost for antiretroviral drugs marketed in India was
found to be zidovudine (100 mg) - 436%, lamivudine (100 mg) - 268%, tenofovir
(300 mg) - 149.5%, didanosine (250 mg) - 73.75%, indinavir (400 mg) - 35.26%.
Among the combination therapy, price variation was lamivudine + zidovudine
(150 + 300 mg) - 314%, lamivudine + stavudine (150 + 40 mg) - 105%,
lopinavir + ritonavir (133.3 + 33 mg) - 25%.
Conclusion: There is wide variation in the prices of antiretroviral agents available in
the market. Regulatory authorities, pharma companies, physicians should maximize
their efforts to reduce the cost of drugs.
Description
Keywords
Human immunodeficiency virus, National pharmaceutical pricing authority, Antiretroviral therapy, Drug price control order, Pharma industry
Citation
Panchal Sagar S, Pandit Prasad R, Phatak Abhishek M, Lohi Komal M. Cost analysis of antiretroviral agents available in India. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. 2015 May-Jun; 4(3): 479-482.