title: Generic antiretroviral drugs and HIV care: An economic review.
abstract: The cost of HIV care in European countries is high. Direct medical costs, in France, have been estimated at 500,000 Euros per patient's lifetime (20,000 Euros/year/patient). Overall, 73% of these costs are related to antiretroviral treatments. In the current financial crisis context, some European countries are beginning to make economic decisions on the drugs to be used. These approaches are likely to become more frequent. It is obviously essential to prescribe the most effective, appropriate, best tolerated, and easy-to-use antiretroviral treatments to patients. However, while taking the above into consideration, and if various treatment options or combinations are available, cost should also be considered in the treatment choice. One may thus reflect on the use of generic antiretroviral agents as they have just been launched in France. We aimed to review the cost and cost-effectiveness of generic antiretroviral drugs and to review treatment strategies other than generic drugs that could help reduce HIV-related costs. HIV clinicians should consider treatment costs to avoid any future coercive measures.
authors.affiliation: UMR 1137, Inserm, IAME, 75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France; Service des maladies infectieuses et tropicales, hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, 75018 Paris, France. Electronic address: yazdan.yazdanpanah@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazdanpanah
authors.affiliation: UMR 1137, Inserm, IAME, 75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwarzinger
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005060:Europe; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D016568:Drugs, Generic
keywords: Antiretroviral drugs; Antirétroviraux; Cost-effectiveness; Coût-efficacité; Generics; Génériques; HIV; VIH