In January, the U.S. approved its first primary-treatment generic AIDS med for the President’s $15 billion global AIDS initiative, PEPFAR.

Two Guatemalan demonstrators died March 15 when nationwide protests over the ratification of a trade treaty that will restrict generic meds,including HIV meds, turned violent.

On March 16, Brazil threatened to break U.S. drug patents unless American drug companies shared drugmaking technology with local pharma factories.

In Kenya, where 77 percent of medicated HIVers take generics, hundreds of protesters rallied unsuccessfully March 18 against Indian anti-generic legislation at Nairobi’s Indian High Commission.

Belgian generics company Propharex is sending a turnkey generics factory piecemeal to the African nation of Gabon, aiming to boost production of affordable HIV meds.

On March 23, India tightened its anti-generics legislation, possibly restricting generic production of future AIDS meds but ensuring continued membership in the World Trade Organization.