CONTACT: Julie Davids, 215.731.1844 o 215-280-7536 mobile

Activists to march from potential US HQ of Glaxo SmithKline (1 Franklin Plaza) to Republic Committee office (1700 Ben Franklin Pkwy) and/or Democratic Committee office (1420 Walnut), pending status of US election tally. International Press Teleconference Tuesday, Nov. 28, for in-depth analysis; see end for details

[Philadelphia] Hundreds of people living with HIV and their supporters will gather Thurs, Nov. 30, for an impassioned twilight march from the likely US headquarters of merging pharmaceutical giant Glaxo SmithKline (GSB) to the party offices of Bush and/or Gore.

The march, led by torch-bearing mourners honoring those who have died in the past year, will feature "World AIDS Ballots" to enable people with HIV to vote for next president's priorities in fighting the global health crisis. The singing and chanting crowd, bearing effigies of Glaxo SmithKline CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier and the President Elect(s), will condemn the hollow promises of drug companies and the US government's failure to increase access to crucial drugs in impoverished nations.

On the eve of World AIDS Day commemorations around the globe, the activists are demanding access to lifesaving drugs for people with HIV in poor countries through global distribution of low-cost generic medication and total debt cancellation to free up funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

"The UN declared this year's World AIDS Day theme 'Men Make a Difference.' We are marching to challenge these rich and powerful men to really make a difference by changing trade and corporate policy to respond to this horrible disease," explains Melvin White of ACT UP Philadelphia. "Garnier, and Bush or Gore, have the power to stop the dying."

"AIDS is one of the greatest social, development, and security threats this planet faces. I am able to live with AIDS due to access to medication, and I will not rest while high prices and government inaction doom my brothers and sisters, whether they are in Tanzania or Texas," adds John Bell of ACT UP Philadelphia, "As an American, I urge the new Administration to devote substantial dollars to the fight the greed of drug kingpins like Garnier and Glaxo SmithKline, who are misleading taxpayers with 'discount' or 'donation' offers that leave millions for dead."

Increased competition through generic production to drive down drug prices, substantive debt cancellation to free resources for health efforts, and significant boosts in donations from wealthy nations have been widely recognized as necessary components of any plan to save millions of lives threatened by HIV.

Activists cite a new report by Nobel Prize winners Doctors Without Borders ("Hidden Price Tags," available at www.accessmed-msf.org), which reveals that drug donations or discounts by US-based drug companies offer tax exemptions for the profitable corporations while limiting the public health options of needy nations.

"We will not let World AIDS Day be a platform for hollow PR for these greedy companies," insists Asia Russell of ACT UP Philadelphia. "Glaxo Wellcome (now Glaxo SmithKline) could have spent the last year donating the patent for AZT to poor countries. Generic production could drastically reduce transmission of HIV from mothers to children worldwide. US tax funds that paid for all the research on AZT, but now GSB is touting a tax-shelter discount deal that keeps the drug priced out of reach of nearly every person with HIV on this planet."

In addition, ACT UP cites a planned restructuring of the merged Glaxo SmithKline (Financial Times, 11/12/00), which would encourage economic competition between different sectors of the drug company giant, as threatening development of much needed but less profitable drugs. (see http://www.glaxowellcome.com/pr/2000/merger2.html, links to slide show.)

"Goliath GSB boasts of 'young drugs' with years of patent life, and of enhanced competition within the company that will penalize less profitable endeavors regardless of public health impact," explains ACT UP Philadelphia member Jose DeMarco. "With 7.3% of the global pharmaceutical market, their policies have a drastic impact, and by all early indications, they are prepared to become even more cut-throat. People with AIDS worldwide need cheap, safe drugs. We demand that Garnier commit his corporation to leading the way by donating patents, not flimsy discount shams."

"Were those crocodile tears at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, when government and industry promised real change?" asks Jim Straub of ACT UP Philadelphia, referring to the well-publicized UNAIDS announcements of deep drug discounts. "In the last four months since the conference, we have not seen meaningful differences. We can create sustainable access to quality affordable drugs worldwide through a global generic distribution network, not drop-in-the-bucket tax write-offs by big drug companies striking deals on a country-by-country basis. That's why countries are increasingly questioning these offers and fighting for access to generic medication, despite US pressure to do otherwise."*