Clinton Foundation Sets Up Malaria-Drug Price Plan

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Wall Street Journal

WSJ: Clinton Foundation Sets Up Malaria-Drug Price Plan
Aim Is to Stabilize Fluctuating Prices, Boost Availability
By MARK SCHOOFS
July 17, 2008; Page A8

Former President Bill Clinton's foundation is set to unveil a pricing agreement Thursday that it hopes will make malaria drugs available to millions of poor people. The agreement points to the sophistication needed to harness market forces and get lifesaving medicines to countries where treatable diseases still take a staggering toll.

First-line malaria drugs -- known as ACTs, for artemisinin-based combination therapies -- present a tricky problem: the volatile cost of the powerful antimalarial plant extract artemisinin. During the past few years, the price of that key ingredient has fluctuated from as little as $150 a kilogram to as much as $1,100, according to Chinese producers.

Such instability makes it difficult for those in the market -- from artemisinin producers to pharmaceutical companies to the health ministries that often buy the drugs -- to plan. That can make pharmaceutical companies wary of reducing prices for fear of another price spike and deter generic-drug makers from entering the market and fostering more-competitive pricing.

The agreement Mr. Clinton plans to announce aims to limit price fluctuations. It creates a consortium of two Chinese raw-artemisinin suppliers, two Indian companies that convert artemisinin into the active pharmaceutical ingredient and two Indian generic-drug companies. Among other things, the deal puts a ceiling on the price of the raw artemisinin in return for a guarantee that other consortium members will purchase large proportions of their artemisinin from the two participating suppliers, unless nonmembers can offer equal-quality product at an undisclosed discount....

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121626447476161201.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Getting A Democrat Elected President In November Will Save Millions Of Poor

So why won't Bill Clinton endorse the Democratic nominee?

[onehandle]

2. How many foundations have you set up?

I'm just wondering because you changed the subject so quickly.

You must be a bit testy because your foundations never get the recognition they deserve.

Jealous?

[MannyGoldstein]

3. None - And I've Never Outsourced Torture, Either

And the word you actually meant was *envious*. I hope I'm not envious of either of two accomplishments of Bill Clinton.

[uberblonde]

4. It's all part of the plan...

To make Obama look bad! Those evil Clintons are shameless. </sarcasm>

[MasonJar]

5. Bill Clinton has not only endorsed Obama, he has also agreed to campaign

for him. It is now up to Obama to set the agenda. Getting a dem in the WH will be good, so why is that statement by you immediately followed by a slur on Clinton. Good for you, Bill, and your foundation for coming up with a reasonable, no-nonsense approach. I notice that our pharmaceutical companies, who are the recipients of massive govenment gifts, never bothered to think of such a plan.