[Ip-health] [Fwd: FW: Dear Colleague; Trade; Health Policy; trade and pharmaceutica ls]

[Mike Palmedo]

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Delivered-To: mpalmedo@cptech.org
From: "Stein, Todd" <Todd.Stein@mail.house.gov>
To: mpalmedo@cptech.org
Subject: FW: Dear Colleague; Trade; Health Policy; trade and pharmaceutica
    ls
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 09:55:08 -0500
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Attn: trade and health staff

Reminder of today's luncheon:





November 12, 2003



Dear Colleague:



            The Consumer Project on Technology recently sent you an
invitation to a luncheon briefing 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.
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 attend this timely briefing.  Please contact
Todd Stein (Rep. Allen) at x5-6116 with questions.



Sincerely,





s/                                                                      s/

Tom Allen                                                        Pete Stark

Member of Congress                                        Member of Congress




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