Roche Gives Up On HIV

Pharmaceutical giant Roche has announced that they are suspending further research into HIV drugs because none of the drugs they are working on appear to improve on drugs already on the market.

“Research scientists currently working in HIV will be reassigned to other activities,” Linda Dyson, a spokeswoman in Roche’s U.S. office in New Jersey, said in an e-mail. Dyson confirmed an e-mail sent on Wednesday to some activists informing them of the decision. In that e-mail, the company said it “decided to refocus our resources within virology on diseases in which we can deliver substantial improvements over existing medications.”

Fuzeon, Roche’s HIV fusion-inhibitor, grossed almost $300M in sales last year, but its annual cost of $25,000 has made it less appealing than other medications. Roche will continue to sell Fuzeon in partnership with Trimeris. According to the story, HIV activists are not likely to mourn the withdrawal of Roche from the HIV drug market as the company has been unwilling to discount their products in the manner of other big pharma companies.

(Via – Chaser Blog)