AIDS activists skewer CDC for conflicting stance on collecting HIV drug royalties
Activists argue any royalties CDC is not now collecting on HIV prevention drugs could be used for combating the virus.
Amid ongoing efforts to thwart HIV, AIDS activists are growing increasingly frustrated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for failing to reach a deal with Gilead Sciences (GILD) over royalties on its sales of the Truvada prevention pill. Although the agency has refused to publicly discuss the subject, the activists hope any funds that could become available will be used for combating the virus.
The activists argue that because American taxpayers funded some of the basic research, the CDC should force Gilead to take a license and then collect royalties that could be used to at around 39,000 through 2016, according to the CDC. And only 10% of those eligible for treatment that year were using Truvada.
