E-DRUG: HIV trials in developing countries (cont'd)

[David Gilbert <cndgilb@kehf.org.uk>]

E-drug: HIV trials in developing countries (cont'd)
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Dear e-druggers,

Am I stupid? Or missing something here?

The previous info about the HIV drug mentioned that "This is commonly 
called the "076 regimen," after the number assigned to the federal study 
that proved it effective....But the 076 regimen is expensive -- $800 per 
patient, including the infusions and drugs for the babies -- and too 
complicated for use in the Third World, where access to medical care is 
poor...."

My question is, even if the drug is so much cheaper now (and that's 
great news I think), don't the 'complications' (eg. health care 
infrastructures?, dosage regimens? need for support? staffing 
resources?) mean that it may not help much.

I heard somewhere several years ago that ORT for diarrhoeal disease has, 
in some cases, meant that public health policy makers have found it easy 
to ignore sanitation issues, etc. Is this true?

In other words, am I being stupid or are 'breakthrough treatments' (even 
cheap ones) a mixed blessing? What do people think?

Yours in curiosity

David Gilbert
cndgilb@kehf.org.uk
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