Microsoft word - letter to bristol-myers squibb ceo from cs delegations re closure of factory.doc

Open letter to: Mr Lamberto Andreotti, Chief Executive Officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dear Mr Andreotti, We, the UNITAID board members representi ng NGOs, and Communities affected by HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, are writing to you to express our deep concern that Bri stol-Myers Squibb is to close a factory in France that manufactures a second line anti-retroviral medicine for children infected with HIV/AIDS who weigh less than 10 kg: buffered didanosine (ddI) in the 25 mg f ormulation. Closing this factory means that 4,000 to 7,000 babies currently enrolled in treatment plans in developing countries through UNITAID could be left without the medicines they need. Didanosine is the last therapeutic option for these babies and without it they may die. We understand that closure of the plant will take place in June of this year, with no plans for resumption of production before April of 2011 at the earliest when a new plant is due to open. Therefore there is likely to be a shortage of approximately 15,000 packs of ddI 25 mg, across all UNITAID beneficiary countries between now and when production is expected to resume in April 2011. Currently, there is no alternative generic product that has been assessed by WHO and prequalified for use by UN agencies. We urge you, as the Chief Executive Officer of BMS, a company that prides itself on its high standards of corporate responsibility,1 to respond urgently to our concerns, outlining the steps you will take to avoid any treatment interruption. We would also like your confirmation that a BMS plant will resume product ion of this vital medicine in 2011. We look forward to hearing from you. Yours Sincerely, Dr. Mohga Kamal -Yanni, Board Member, NGOs. Oxfam GB. [email protected] Ms. Kim Nichols, Alternate Board Member, NGOs. African Services Committee. [email protected] Dr. Esther Tallah, Board Member, Communities. Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria. [email protected] Mr. Nelson Otwoma, Alternate Board Member, Communities. National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. otwomatom@yahoo. com Supporting the NGOs and Communities delegations: Action for Southern Africa 1 “BMS acknowledges its obligation to the world at large not only in the products it offers but also in its commitment to act as a responsible corporate citizen for today and tomorrow ” (http://www.squibb.com/sr/data/). Act Up, Lusaka, Zambia Africare Agency for Community Care and Development Asian Harm Reduction Network Centre for Health Policy and Innovation Coalition of Zambian Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COZWHA+) Coalition PLUS Community Initiative for Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS & Malaria (CITAM+), Zambia Consumer Information Network (CIN), Kenya Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network Global AIDS Alliance Health Action International (HAI) Africa Health Access Network (HAN), Ghana Health GAP (Global Access Project) IHA’s Medical and Social Foundation, India Love Life Society Médecins Sans Frontières National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda (NACWOLA) Network of Maharashtra Peopl e with HIV (NMP+) Positive Generation, Cameroon Stop AIDS Campaign, UK TB ACTION Group, Kenya The Touch of Hope Foundation Universities Allied for Essential Medicines

Source: http://www.aidsportal.org/kwantu-hivsa-noleftnav/documents/Letter_to_Bristol_Myers.pdf