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Rivarola Resigns as CEO of Max Foundation
28 April 2005
Pedro Rivarola resigns as CEO of The Max Foundation, a charity for
cancer patients that was founded in memory of his son, Maximiliano.
Current website: www.maxaid.org.
Former website: www.themaxfoundation.org (link to internet archives)
The Max Foundation is primarily supported by the drug manufacturer Novartis. The history of The Max Foundation and of Mr. Rivarola have been plagued by scandals.
The Max Foundation is one of several "Novartis partners" who run an international program to provide impoverished leukemia patients with the drug Glivec (called Gleevec in the USA). It is the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP). Under this program, patients who meet eligibility criteria receive a course of Glivec treatment for free. However, some patients in some countries have reported that when the initial supply of Glivec ran out, they were advised to pressure their government to pay for it. In this way, popular movements to purchase the Novartis drug were initiated around the world. An investigative report on this program was published in June 2003 by the NY Times. National Public Radio also profiled the international controversy surrounding the GIPAP program.
Questions have been raised about the activities of The Max Foundation in several Latin American countries.
In Brazil, about 5 years ago The Max Foundation claimed to have established a Latin American bone marrow registry named VidaMax. But Vidamax never became operational, even in Brazil. This information comes from the NYTimes and from confidential sources.
In Argentina, a lawsuit was filed in April 2006 against The Max Foundation and Novartis by Zulma Pilar Labrana, a former Max Foundation employee. The lawsuit alleges that the Max Foundation colluded with Novartis to set up a GIPAP program that was really a mechanism to promote sales of Glivec. Documents submitted to the court describe bribes paid to doctors and hospitals, and payments to attorneys to file lawsuits on behalf of patients. This was reported in El Medico of Buenos Aires (No. 191, 30 July 2006), which can be accessed at: http://www.revistaelmedico.com.ar/rm/notas/vernota.php?id=1120.
An English translation was published in Aug 2006 by Healthy Skepticism.
The current head of The Max Foundation is Patricia Garcia Gonzalez, step-mother of Maximiliano and ex-wife of Pedro Rivarola. Since the departure of Pedro Rivarola, the Max Foundation has changed its logo and website. The Max Foundation continues to administer the GIPAP program for Novartis, and is particularly active in India. Novartis activities in India have been the target of protests by Oxfam America.
Meanwhile, Pedro Rivarola has moved on to found MaxCord, www.maxcord.net, an organization whose website says it is devoted to the promotion of cord blood banking. Some of the doctors listed as Scientific Advisory Board members of MaxCord have not agreed to work with the organization.
Current website: www.maxaid.org.
Former website: www.themaxfoundation.org (link to internet archives)
The Max Foundation is primarily supported by the drug manufacturer Novartis. The history of The Max Foundation and of Mr. Rivarola have been plagued by scandals.
The Max Foundation is one of several "Novartis partners" who run an international program to provide impoverished leukemia patients with the drug Glivec (called Gleevec in the USA). It is the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP). Under this program, patients who meet eligibility criteria receive a course of Glivec treatment for free. However, some patients in some countries have reported that when the initial supply of Glivec ran out, they were advised to pressure their government to pay for it. In this way, popular movements to purchase the Novartis drug were initiated around the world. An investigative report on this program was published in June 2003 by the NY Times. National Public Radio also profiled the international controversy surrounding the GIPAP program.
Questions have been raised about the activities of The Max Foundation in several Latin American countries.
In Brazil, about 5 years ago The Max Foundation claimed to have established a Latin American bone marrow registry named VidaMax. But Vidamax never became operational, even in Brazil. This information comes from the NYTimes and from confidential sources.
In Argentina, a lawsuit was filed in April 2006 against The Max Foundation and Novartis by Zulma Pilar Labrana, a former Max Foundation employee. The lawsuit alleges that the Max Foundation colluded with Novartis to set up a GIPAP program that was really a mechanism to promote sales of Glivec. Documents submitted to the court describe bribes paid to doctors and hospitals, and payments to attorneys to file lawsuits on behalf of patients. This was reported in El Medico of Buenos Aires (No. 191, 30 July 2006), which can be accessed at: http://www.revistaelmedico.com.ar/rm/notas/vernota.php?id=1120.
An English translation was published in Aug 2006 by Healthy Skepticism.
The current head of The Max Foundation is Patricia Garcia Gonzalez, step-mother of Maximiliano and ex-wife of Pedro Rivarola. Since the departure of Pedro Rivarola, the Max Foundation has changed its logo and website. The Max Foundation continues to administer the GIPAP program for Novartis, and is particularly active in India. Novartis activities in India have been the target of protests by Oxfam America.
Meanwhile, Pedro Rivarola has moved on to found MaxCord, www.maxcord.net, an organization whose website says it is devoted to the promotion of cord blood banking. Some of the doctors listed as Scientific Advisory Board members of MaxCord have not agreed to work with the organization.
Last modified: 05.February 2008
Copyright 2000 - 2008 Frances Verter
Copyright 2000 - 2008 Frances Verter