US Government Special 301 “Watchlist” and Developing Country Use of Compulsory Licenses for Healthcare

 Posted by on May 2, 2013  No Responses »
May 022013
 

maybardukSpecial 301 is an annual report by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) which places countries on a “watch list” if USTR would like to see greater changes in their intellectual property rules or enforcement practice. This year’s report came out May 1st. We pay attention because USTR relies heavily on comments from big business, and USTR’s opaque standards and criticism of other countries could stymie the development of public interest policies in areas including health. For example, countries have sovereign rights to issue “compulsory licenses” on pharmaceutical patents. Compulsory licensing authorizes price-lowering generic competition with patented drugs in exchange for royalty payments to the patent holder. It’s a key strategy for improving access to affordable medicines, especially in developing countries. But the US has often criticized compulsory licensing, and sometimes sought to stop it (see eg: http://www.citizen.org/leaked-cables-show-US-tried-failed-to-organize-against-ecuador-compulsory-licensing).   Continue reading »

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Indonesia Licenses Patents for Seven HIV & Hepatitis B Medicines

 Posted by on October 11, 2012  1 Response »
Oct 112012
 

Precedent-Setting Government Order has Extraordinary Lifesaving Potential

On September 3, the government of Indonesia took a quiet but exceptionally important step to expand access to medicines and help save and improve lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B. President Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a decree authorizing government use of patents for seven HIV/AIDS and hepatitis medicines. If implemented to the full, the measure would introduce widespread generic competition and generate major cost savings in the world’s fourth most populous country. Continue reading »

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Public Citizen Press Release: Obama Trade Pact Could Impede ‘AIDS-Free Generation’

 Posted by on July 23, 2012  No Responses »
Jul 232012
 

Rollbacks of Modest Bush-Era Improvements on Access to Medicines Would Empower Big Pharma, Expand Monopolies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To achieve the “AIDS-free generation” for which President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others, have called, we must break the monopoly power of drug companies and change the U.S. approach to trade pacts, Public Citizen said today.

The Obama administration is negotiating a multilateral “Trans-Pacific Partnership” (TPP) free trade agreement with countries in Asia and the Americas, intended to expand to the entire Asia-Pacific region. Leaked documents reveal that U.S. demands for the TPP would radically expand pharmaceutical monopoly power, keeping treatment costs high and threatening to impede the common goal of an “AIDS-free generation.” Continue reading »

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“Heavy-handed” TPP tactics from US Trade Rep

 Posted by on May 25, 2012  No Responses »
May 252012
 

[Reposted from the citizenvox blog.] The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a massive package of proposed new economic rules for the Asia-Pacific region (including the US), heavily influenced by corporate priorities through the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and under negotiation right now.  You might not have heard of it, but if it’s eventually signed, its secret texts will affect your life.

At the TPP negotiations’ official stakeholder briefing May 13th outside Dallas, USTR announced that the nine TPP country Chief negotiators together had just awarded a prize to the first negotiators to finalize their chapter: rules on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Continue reading »

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Colombian Court: Abbott Labs’ AIDS Drug Pricing Abuse Violated Health Rights

 Posted by on April 27, 2012  No Responses »
Apr 272012
 


Both sides appeal in ongoing civil society lawsuit for compulsory license

A Colombian administrative judge has ruled that Abbott Laboratories and the Ministry of Health threatened and violated collective rights to public health by maintaining the price of an HIV medicine above the reference price, flouting a government order. The court’s decision is a groundbreaking condemnation of Big Pharma pricing abuses and a precedent for health rights in Colombia.

The decision arises from a lawsuit filed by health groups seeking a compulsory license on lopinavir + ritonavir (LPV/r), marketed by Abbott as Kaletra and Aluvia. A compulsory license would introduce cost-cutting generic competition with Abbott’s patent-based monopoly. Continue reading »

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Public Health Groups Launch Global Campaign Against Abbott Labs’ Monopoly on Critical AIDS Medicine

 Posted by on November 10, 2011  1 Response »
Nov 102011
 

(CC) Dink's Financial

Groups Seek Generic Competition for Abbott’s Patented Lifesaving Treatments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, public health groups in a dozen countries launch a campaign to challenge Abbott Laboratories’ monopolistic hold on lopinavir+ritonavir (also known as Kaletra or Aluvia), a critical HIV/AIDS medicine. The goal is to spur competition by generic drugmakers and thereby lower the medicine’s price, as well as to free up its components for new and improved combination treatments. Continue reading »

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Leaked cables show U.S. tried, failed to organize against Ecuador compulsory licensing

 Posted by on May 11, 2011  1 Response »
May 112011
 

In October 2009, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa issued Decree 118 to improve access to medicines and support public health programs through a protocol that would reduce drug costs. The protocol established procedures for the compulsory licensing of pharmaceutical patents. Compulsory licensing authorizes generic competition with patented, monopoly protected drugs.  Generic competition reduces costs and enables public agencies to scale-up treatment and other services.

Ecuador’s protocol limits compulsory licensing to medical conditions that are priorities for public health, requiring interagency cooperation to grant licenses on a case-by-case basis and pay royalties to patent holders.

Nevertheless, cables from U.S. Embassy personnel in Ecuador to the U.S. Department of State, released by Wikileaks, show the United States, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and three Ministers within the government shared information and worked to undermine Ecuador’s emerging policy. Continue reading »

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