December 2002

Drug Company to Give Away Drugs in U.S.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation is planning to give away its antiretroviral drug Viramune to low-income U.S. adults and children who lack prescription drug coverage through public, private, or employee health plans. To qualify, incomes of individuals must be $25,000 or less; income of families of two or more must be $40,000 or less. There will be no copayment or participation fees. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or legal residents. They will receive a year’s worth of Viramune, distributed in four installments every three month’s through their health care providers. Enrollees may reapply after the first year is up. The Foundation has been offering a similar program in developing nations as part of an effort to prevent vertical HIV transmission.