Activists target U. Trustee

University Trustee Charles Heimbold was targeted by about 20 protesters yesterday morning when they marched to the Inn at Penn after a press conference in Houston Hall. A coalition of AIDS activists and senior citizens accused Heimbold, the outgoing CEO of pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb, of overcharging those in need of life-saving medication. "Bristol-Myers Squibb [is] best described as a cartel of prescription drugs," said Pedro Rodriguez, who represented the National Alliance of Senior Citizens. "It is also part of a group that exerts a large amount of influence in public policy." At issue is a series of complaints brought against Bristol-Myers, including unfairly extending patents in order to dominate the market and withholding needed AIDS medications from developing countries. The Gray Panthers, a senior citizen activist group, sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky yesterday. Some of the complaints are related to the marketing of the anti-anxiety drug BuSpar. "The result [of extending the patent of BuSpar] is to delay consumer access to more affordable versions of the critical medication," the letter said, "while at the same time providing Bristol-Myers Squibb with as much as $1.75 billion in non-competitive sales." Philadelphia AIDS activists from the group ACT UP joined with the Gray Panthers in forming the Stop Patient Abuse Now! group to bring to light what they feel are questionable actions regarding the marketing of Bristol-Myers' AIDS drugs. According to a statement released at the press conference, Bristol-Myers earned over $200 million in sales of the AIDS drug Videx in 1999. Videx was invented by the federal government. "Mr. Heimbold should commit himself and his company to policies... which do not bring disrepute on the institutions and groups with which he is affiliated, including the University of Pennsylvania," read a resolution delivered by the activists to the Board of Trustees. Patrick Dunahill, a spokesman for Bristol-Myers, maintained that his company has not been deceptive in its trade practices and has not overcharged its customers. "We remain committed to the vigorous defense of our intellectual property," Dunahill said. Dunahill called the groups' charges "not balanced." "It's certainly not fair or accurate," he added. But Tim Fuller, executive director of the Gray Panthers and spokesman for SPAN, expressed confidence in his coalition's ability to affect change. While admitting that the size of the coalition is "now quite modest," Fuller said that "it will grow to be a very large group." With regard to AIDS drugs, Julie Davids of ACT UP maintained that medications could be delivered at a fraction of their current price. "The drugs could cost pennies," Davids said. "This is just the beginning." Echoing Davids' sentiments the United Nations yesterday called on the pharmaceutical industry to offer AIDS medications to developing countries at "highly reduced prices." Bristol-Myers Squibb is part of a group of five drug firms that have offered to discount their anti-retroviral drugs by as much as 80 percent.

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