Q: What is the cost of HIV treatment medication in India. Currently I am in USA and it costs me $2000 per month.

A:We presume your enquiry is concerning the cost of drugs and not cost of treatment that will include non-drug charges for consultations, laboratory tests etc. Drugs are definitely cheaper in India due to the lower purchasing power of the population, lower cost of manufacture and absence of research expenses involved in the discovery of drugs. The cost of drugs will depend upon the medicines being consumed. As an illustration, we give below the prices of major anti-retroviral agents: Lamivudine 150 mg + zidovudine 300 mg: 10 tablets, Indian Rs. 274/- Lamivudine 150 mg: 10 tablets, Rs. 235/- Nevirapine 200 mg: 60 tablets, Rs. 1200/- Zidovudine 100 mg: 100 tablets, Rs. 2040/- Stavudine 30 mg: 10 tablets, Rs. 105/- Etavirenz 600 mg: 30 tablets, Rs. 2940/- Current exchange rate: US$ 1 = Indian Rs. 49/-