Public interest for HIV antiretroviral

By Francisco Espinosa Bellido

Members of the Congress required the government to enact the declaration of public interest of antiretroviral Atazanavir, used to treat HIV infection.

Yonhy Lescano, part of the Congress Committee for Consumer Protection, invited the government to enact the declaration of public interest of the antiretroviral Atazanavir.

According to Lescano Law 28.243 declares of national and public interest the need to combat HIV/AIDS and orders the State to supply the required medicines. "The law requires the Ministry of Health to acquire the medicine at competitive prices to cover all patients, something that does not happen now because the drug is under patent protection," said the legislator in a public statement.

Peru pays for the medicine up to 20 times more expensive costs than other countries of the region, due to a patent granted by the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi).

Atazanavir, marketed under the trade name Reyataz, is produced by American pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers to treat infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).