sarah rimmington srimmingtonessentialinformationorg global access medicines bulletin issue 6 august 7 2008 colombian health organizations seek generic aids drug july 16 colombian public health hivaids organizations stepped efforts facilitate access important hivaids treatment filing requests colombian government open compulsory license lopinavirritonavir brandname kaletra 1 issued compulsory license would permit introduction significantly affordable generic versions drug throughout country exchange royalty payments patent holder chicagobased abbott laboratories compulsory license request comes three months civil society groups first requested voluntary license directly abbott 2 date company responded groups request hivaids serious health problem colombia official statistics show 1983 2007 approximately 57500 people diagnosed disease though true number cases estimated closer 171500 groups initiated compulsory license request estimate 23000 people living hivaids colombia currently require antiretroviral arv treatment 12000 receive hivaids third leading cause death men ages 15 44 colombia government must let people die exists simple affordable solution helping people hivaids live normal lives says francisco rossi ifarmahai health action international one colombian organizations initiated compulsory license requests lopinavirritonavir lpvr important secondgeneration treatment hivaids colombia brandname version product kaletra available patients kaletra expensive unaffordable much population country average income us3250 abbott sells kaletra public sector suppliers approximately 1683 per patient per year private sector suppliers much 4449 however generic lpvr currently available peru bolivia less 800 per patient per year also soon available throughout latin america little 550 result recent clinton foundation deal abbott charges patients colombia kaletra charges countries region company sells little 1000 per patient per year colombian civil society estimates competition government alone could save well 1 million annually civil society organizations suggested savings could invested many possible ways scaling numbers patients receiving hivaids treatment strengthening colombias health system 3 patients private insurers buy significantly larger quantities drugs government thus cost savings resulting introduction generic competition lpvr would also much larger colombian government legally issue compulsory licenses pharmaceutical patents world trade organization andean community rules domestic law colombian government obliged reply compulsory license request within reasonable amount time colombian civil society organizations meeting government officials discuss request coming weeks meanwhile international aids conference mexico city yesterday health advocates around world demonstrated released letter support colombian civil society request 4 issuing compulsory license case help promote access medicines wrote groups high price charged abbott patent holder medicine constitutes barrier access hinders efforts make antiretroviral treatment available colombia need 5 web links 1httpwwwessentialactionorgaccessindexphparchives166colombiahealthorganizationsfileforcompulsorylicenseonlopinavirritonavirhtml 2 httplistsessentialorgpipermailiphealth2008april012527html 3httpwwwessentialactionorgaccessindexphparchives170healthgroupsworldwidesupportcolombiancallforcompulsorylicenseonkaletrahtml 4httpwwwessentialactionorgaccessindexphparchives171palmbeachpostatugofwarafuneralanddrugpriceshtml 5httpwwwessentialactionorgaccessindexphparchives170healthgroupsworldwidesupportcolombiancallforcompulsorylicenseonkaletrahtml secret treaty may interfere generic medicines new international treaty negotiation known anticounterfeiting trade agreement acta may interfere efforts promote generic price competition pharmaceutical industry according public health campaigners united states european union japan south korea canada mexico australia new zealand negotiating acta 1 text remains secret treaty aims establish heightened common international standard border controls copyright trademark patent enforcement last couple years brandname pharmaceutical industry allies increasingly called attention issue counterfeit medicines industry us government world health organization implemented daunting array projects address pharmaceutical counterfeits acta would extend far beyond initiatives however public health advocates say counterfeits legitimate public health concern subset bigger problem substandard medicines rich poor countries public health agenda would focus quality medicines narrow patent trademark issues say 2 pharma however interested narrow focus patent trademark issues arguments pharma allies counterfeiting blur lines fakes generics undermining public confidence generics 3 pharma also uses counterfeits justification oppose reimportation pharmaceuticals commonly known parallel trade parallel importation outside united states reimported drugs move outside brandname firms control may repackaged argument runs certainty reimported pharmaceutical legitimate acta text remains secret exactly contains unknown phrma us brandname drug industry association suggested treaty impose liability manufacturers active pharmaceutical ingredients apis apis used make counterfeits liability system may make api manufacturers reluctant sell legal generic drug makers thereby significantly damage functioning legal generic pharmaceutical industry industry recommendations would interfere drug reimportation g8s recent declaration world economy implored negotiators include acta negotiations year 4 acta see httpwwwkeionlineorgindexphpoptioncom_contenttaskviewid187 httpwwwpublicknowledgeorgissuesacta httpssecureefforgsiteadvocacyjservsessionidr009m5722xgyi2app2acmddisplaypageuseractionid383 httpipjusticeorgwpcampaignsacta web links 1httpwwwustrgovdocument_librarypress_releases2007octoberambassador_schwab_announces_us_will_seek_new_trade_agreement_to_fight_fakeshtml 2httpwwwessentialactionorgaccessindexphparchives131commentsonproposedanticounterfeitingtreatyhtmlextended 3 see example httpwwwwashingtonpostcomwpdyncontentarticle20080718ar2008071802446html 4 httpwwwwhitehousegovnewsreleases200807200807082html essential action public health corporate accountability group located washington dc essential actions access medicines project worked global access medicines issues decade information work go wwwessentialactionorgaccess published essential actions access medicines project po box 19405 washington dc 20036 usa tel 1 202 3878030 wwwessentialactionorgaccess editors sarah rimmington srimmingtonesssentialinformationorg robert weissman robessentialorg subscribe free global access medicines ebulletin go httpsalsademocracyinactionorgo1678t5144signupjspkey2959 sarah rimmington attorney essential action access medicines project washington dc tel 202 3878030 cell 202 4222687 wwwessentialactionorgaccess _______________________________________________ iphealth mailing list iphealthlistsessentialorg httplistsessentialorgmailmanlistinfoiphealth thu 07 aug 2008 125409 0400 iphealth colombian groups seek generic aids drug secret treaty may interfere generic meds