Presently there are numerous costly alternatives to Alphamir™ for treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Estimates to treat the current 20 million plus infected people range from approximately $316 to $3,325 per year using presently available Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART). In addition, the cost of the medical infrastructure for distribution, monitoring and training necessary for use of these treatment programs is prohibitive throughout Africa.

Our data suggests that Alphamir™ is equally or more effective than current treatments. Clinical trials with Alphamir™ have shown no toxic effects and require minimal special training and monitoring. We are confident that clinical trials of Alphamir™ will demonstrate that it can be used as an effective vaginal gel to prevent transmission of HIV. This will be the only truly effective means of curbing the AIDS pandemic. No other current technology has this potential. In addition, the cost of our product is lower than the currently available treatments on the market. BioChem Solutions is also cost competitive when compared with the generic treatments known today. Alphamir™ is 1/5th the cost of the lowest offer from proprietary companies.

According to Kenyan government figures, only 2,500 out of 200,000 AIDS patients in Kenya are currently receiving antiretrovirals, (ARVs). The drugs are only available in high-cost private hospitals such as the Aga Khan, the Nairobi, the Pandya Memorial Hospital, the private wing of the public Kenyatta National Hospital, and a few church-run hospitals." While generic AIDS drugs are now allowed into Kenya under compulsory licensing provisions in the Industrial Property Act of July 2001, which came into force in May this year, one major problem is that a majority of the patients say that the drugs are not available. Some patients are switching to other drugs and then developing resistance. "We are going to end up with serious resistance and two years from today we might have no ARVs that we can use," Dr. John Wesongo of Nairobi's Mbagathi Hospital.

Nicholas Otieno, who has been living with HIV/AIDS since 1992, speaks of the irregular supplies of ARVs, which can lead to HIV-resistance to the treatments. "Since I started taking antiretroviral drugs last July, I have twice been unable to get my regular supply of Zerit. Once I could get Epivir as a substitute, but that costs 4000 Kenya shillings (US$50) per month instead of the usual KES 440 (US$5) I pay for Zerit. The other time I went without a substitute for two weeks." Liza Kimbo of the Kenya Coalition for Access to Essential Medicines says the problem of drug shortages started last year when the five major drug companies lowered the prices of their AIDS drugs for Africa by between 50 -80%....it's the big five. It's the companies that have provided these drugs at the beneficial prices are the ones that are then affected with the shortages. Inter Press Service–April 23, 2002

Kenya has said yes to generic ARVs, but failed to win funds from the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria. Upon approval, the government planned for 300,000 people in Kenya to receive generic drugs IF they received the funding. Nairobi hopes that the generics will undercut the prices of branded ARVs, which despite manufacturers 'reductions' still cost US $850 a year for the cheapest triple therapy. That is less than a tenth of the price in the developed world, but still too much for the 10 million people in Kenya who live on less than US $1 a day.

Generic triple therapies including AZT, 3TC, and nevirapine are now down to prices of around US $295 a year but still dear in the African context. Ellen Hoen, coordinator of the globalization section of the Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) campaign for access to essential medicines, knows of other courses costing only US $209. It's still not low enough 'but the prices could go down further', she says.
The Ministry has already announced its intention to make a reapplication to the Global Fund when its board sits again in September.