[Ip-health] It is time to nationalize the international pharmaceutical industry

[Prof. Michael H. Davis]

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> Since federal funding in the U.S., for instance, constitutes the bulk
> of investment in pharmaceuticals already, and the only important
> investment in important drugs (the industry relying on small-investment
> "me-too" drugs and baldness cures, for instance), it is only logical,
> in the face of industry threats to extort beneficial laws in exchange
> for production of essesntial drugs, to complete the process.

There is no logic in having national airlines, national health care,
national universities, and national armies, and not having completely
national pharmaceutical production as well. Since most R&D is already
governmental, production and distribution should be nationalized as well.
Not only would this assure reasonable access to all medicines, research
directed at the most important problems, and transparency in cost-benefit
calculations, but it would avoid this kind of shameful blackmail that
arises every time citizens demand better pharmaceutical practices.
Instead of giving us what we deserve, the industry habitually threatens
to stop research unless it is given absolute property rights in knowledge
we all pay for by way of massive federal support for scientific research.

And are the half-measures that have become the focus of this dispute
worthy of this battle?

Mickey

>
>
> Drug Companies Fight Back
>
>         The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
> Associations issued a press release ...  Several IFPMA officials added
> that efforts to
> broaden TRIPS would prompt drug firms to decrease their research and
> development for AIDS drugs.  ... Bale and Krebs said that
> if patent regulations are eased for HIV/AIDS drugs, investors in drug
> firms would pressure the firms to "focus on other diseases that
> caused less controversy, like cancer" (Evans, Reuters, 9/19).  The
> release states, "IFPMA calls on all [WTO] member states to take an
> active role in supporting strong implementation and enforcement of
> the TRIPS agreement ... Measures which focus on
> weakening intellectual property rights in the name of 'improving
> access,' however, will actually divert decision-makers away from
> addressing the real barriers to access" (IFPMA rele
> --
>
> Julie Davids
> ACT UP Philadelphia
> Health GAP Coalition
>
> c/o Critical Path AIDS Project
> 1233 Locust Street
> Philadelphia, PA 19107
> 215-474-9329
> _______________________________________________
> Ip-health mailing list
> Ip-health@lists.essential.org
> http://lists.essential.org/mailman/listinfo/ip-health

--
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