CBS news story on SA/AIDS patent dispute

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

I saw this story on last nights' (Sunday) CBS nightly news.
The theme was that South Africa was "hindered by U.S. Patent
Laws," which again shows a remarkable world view, since U.S.
Patent Laws are for the USA, and other countries have their
own laws.  There is no mention at all that the US government
has put trade pressure on the South African government on 
this issue, or that measures such as compulsory licensing are
permitted under international patent agreements.  The last 
sentence makes it sound as if the US government is playing
a positive role in the controversy, rather than being the
source of pressure against compulsory licensing.  

 Jamie

http://www.cbs.com/flat/story_174890.html

                CBS NEWS ¦ World 


Nearly 10% Of Country Suffers From AIDS

Affordable Drugs Hindered By U.S. Patent Laws

NZAIMAKWE, South Africa
Monday, August    09,1999 - 08:14 AM ET 


(CBS) Thamsanga Nhleko is waiting to die.  He has AIDS.

"I do nothing all day," he says. "I just feel pain."

Once a month local hospice workers bring him some food and
painkillers, but they have nothing to treat the disease, reports
CBS News Correspondent Sarah Carter.  

While the life prolonging AIDS drug cocktails are showing
tremendous promise in the United States and other parts of the
world, they are not an option in Kwa-Zulu Natal, where the rate
of infection is the highest in the world.  One in three has AIDS.

"These drugs cost $600 us dollars per month and the average South
African certainly cannot afford the anti-retrovirals for the
month,"says Dr. Adrienne Wolfson.


With most African countries spending less than $6 per person
annually on health care, the expense of life prolonging drugs is
simply too dear.  Drug companies justify their prices by the high
cost of research and development, and rely on patent protection
as a way to recover their initial investment.

In an effort to make the life prolonging drugs more affordable,
the South African government has passed legislation to allow for
the purchase of cheaper generic versions of the anti-aids drug
cocktails.

Forty drug companies are suing the South African government
claiming the new bill violates international drug patents.  AIDS
activists claim the drug companies are putting profits before
lives.
									
"There is no connection between patent protection and access to
drugs," says Vicky Ehrich of Glaxo-Wellcome. "And that is really
the issue we should be looking at in a country like South Africa. 
We absolutely do not put profits before lives."

But while the government and business do battle in court,
millions of AIDS sufferers are losing the fight.  Hardly anyone
in Africa even knows life-prolonging drugs are even available. 
Doctors believe that since the pills are so unaffordable, it's
kinder not to let their patients know. 

For the record, the Clinton administration says it is trying to
resolve the dispute, working with South Africa to find ways for
it to obtain low-cost AIDS drugs without infringing on U.S.
patents.


-- 
James Love, Director, Consumer Project on Technology
I can be reached at love@cptech.org, by telephone 202.387.8030,
by fax at 202.234.5176. CPT web page is http://www.cptech.org