[Ecommerce] "Dear Colleague" letter on upcoming (Wed) CPTech luncheon on bilateral and regional FTAs

[Mike Palmedo]

November 10, 2003

Dear Colleague:

            We want to make you aware of a luncheon briefing provided by the
Consumer Project on Technology on:

Trade and Pharmaceuticals:
How Bilateral Trade Agreements Could Affect
U.S. Consumers and Access to Affordable Medicines

            The United States is planning, negotiating and implementing a
number of bilateral free trade agreements with intellectual property and
regulatory provisions that could affect access to prescription drugs.  U.S.
negotiators are seeking provisions in trade pacts (Australia, CAFTA, FTAA,
Chile, Singapore) that would limit the use of compulsory licenses, restrict
parallel trade (re-importation), tie drug registration to assertions of
patent protection (including patents that may not be valid or relevant),
extend exclusive rights on data used for drug registration, and weaken the
ability to evaluate and negotiate prices on pharmaceuticals.  The briefing
is intended to address the following questions:

1. How will these trade measures impact consumers in the United States?
Will they force the U.S. to give up important tools to restrain soaring drug
prices and to address abuses of patent rights?

2. Are bilateral agreements setting new global norms for the pharmaceutical
market, and thus circumventing appropriate global decision-making at the
WTO?

3. Is there a better and more sensible approach to sharing the
responsibility of funding global R&D while allowing countries to negotiate
drug prices on behalf of their citizens?

            The briefers will be: James Love, Director of the Consumer
Project on Technology, Robert Weissman, Co-Director of Essential Action, and
another briefer TBA.  Mr. Love (an economist) and Mr. Weissman (a lawyer)
advise a number of U.N. agencies, national governments, NGOs and industry
groups on trade and intellectual property policies, with focus on the
intellectual property and regulatory aspects of trade negotiations that
affect access to medicines, as well as a new trade framework for health care
research and development.

            DATE:             Wednesday, November 12
            TIME:              12:00 noon

            PLACE:           121 Cannon HOB

We hope you will be able to join us for this timely briefing.  Please call
Todd Stein (Allen) at x5-6116 with any questions.

Sincerely,


s/                                                                      s/
Tom Allen                                                        Pete Stark
Member of Congress                                        Member of Congress