[Ip-health] Letter to Novartis to DROP THE CASE in India

[Sheila.SHETTLE@geneva.msf.org]

Below is a letter sent today to Novartis CEO Vasella by the Swiss NGO Berne=
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Declaration, urging Novartis to drop its case challenging the Indian Patent=
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Law.   Much is at stake with Novartis' challenge against section 3d of the=
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Indian law, since it is the crucial safeguard that states that slight=0D
modifications of existing molecules are not patentable (this provision is=
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unique to India).   Five years after the South African counrt case,=0D
Novartis (which was one of the companies who took South Africa to court) is=
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again taking a government to court that is legitimately trying to protect=
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the public health of its people. The letter is signed by former Swiss=0D
President, Ruth Dreifuss. MSF has also signed on to the letter.  The=0D
original letter is in French, as is a press release sent out today, which=
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can be found on the Berne Declaration website at:=0D
http://www.evb.ch/fr/p25008918.html=0D
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=0D
Dr. Daniel Vasella=0D
Novartis International AG=0D
Schwarzwaldallee, 215=0D
Postfach=0D
CH-4002 Basel=0D
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Lausanne, 10 October 2006=0D
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Dear Mr. Vasella,=0D
=0D
Alerted by Indian patients with cancer, health organizations and public=0D
interest groups, we are writing to you to express our concerns regarding=0D
the legal proceedings that Novartis has started in May 2006 in order to=0D
challenge the rejection of its patent application for imatinib mesylate=0D
(Glivec=C2=AE/Gleevec=C2=AE) as well as the compliance of the Indian Patent=
s Act with=0D
the World Trade Organization=E2=80=99s Agreement on Trade Related Aspects o=
f=0D
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). We are joining the Indian=0D
organizations in their demand that Novartis withdraws these cases.=0D
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In particular, we are extremely concerned with Novartis=E2=80=99s challenge=
 of=0D
Section 3(d) of the Indian Patents Act, which Novartis claims is not=0D
compliant with the TRIPS Agreement.=0D
=0D
Section 3(d), which prevents the grant of patents for new forms or new uses=
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of known substances, is one of the recognized flexibilities of the TRIPS=0D
Agreement that countries are utterly free to adopt in their legislation.=0D
The importance of these flexibilities has been highlighted by the United=0D
Kingdom Commission on Intellectual Property Rights in its 2002 report (1)=
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as well as by the World Health Organization Commission on Intellectual=0D
Property Rights, Innovation and Health in its 2006 report  (2).=0D
=0D
Such a challenge is in contradiction with the spirit and the letter of the=
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Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. The Declaration=
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states that the TRIPS Agreement =C2=AB can and should be interpreted and=0D
implemented in a manner supportive of WTO Members' right to protect public=
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health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all =C2=BB (3=
) .=0D
With this challenge, Novartis is seeking to limit the ability of the Indian=
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Government to take measures to protect the public health of its population=
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and to have a patent system adapted to the Indian socio-economic context.=
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We are very concerned that the changes sought by Novartis in the Indian=0D
Patents Act could negatively affect access to essential generic medicines=
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(in particular HIV/AIDS medicines) not only in India but also in all the=0D
developing countries that import Indian generic medicines.=0D
=0D
Novartis sells Glivec=C2=AE/Gleevec=C2=AE, a life-saving medicine at prohib=
itive=0D
prices in India (Rs. 1.44 million, or US$ 26'000, per patient per year) and=
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in other developing countries. This price is well above the financial=0D
capacity of the majority of patients in developing countries. Novartis=0D
recognizes that only a small number of patients in India are paying for the=
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medicine.=0D
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Access to health care and medicines in developing countries depends on=0D
different factors and requires solutions at various levels. However, it is=
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everyone's duty to remove barriers within its own abilities.=0D
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We are shocked that five years after the end of the trial brought by=0D
Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies against the South African=0D
government, Novartis is trying again to restrict the flexibility given to a=
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country to adapt the TRIPS Agreement to its public health needs.=0D
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The undersigned organizations demand that Novartis withdraws the cases=0D
against the Indian Patents Act and the decision of the Indian Patent Office=
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on Glivec=C2=AE/Gleevec=C2=AE.=0D
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Sincerely yours,=0D
=0D
=0D
Julien Reinhard=0D
Campaign Director=0D
Berne Declaration=0D
52, rue de Gen=C3=A8ve=0D
CH-1004 Lausanne=0D
www.ladb.ch=0D
T=C3=A9l. +41 (0)21 620 03 03=0D
Fax +41 (0)21 620 03 00=0D
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The following organizations and persons are endorsing this letter:=0D
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Organizations=0D
- Aids-Hilfe Bern, Mr Kurt P=C3=A4rli, Chairman & Mrs B=C3=A9atrice Aeberso=
ld=0D
Kr=C3=A4henb=C3=BChl, Director=0D
- Aids-Hilfe beider Basel, Mr Stefan Moser, Director=0D
- Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), Mr Bruno Meili, President=
=0D
- Berne Declaration, Mr Julien Reinhard, Campaign Director=0D
- Bethleem Mission Immensee, Mr Stefan Siebenhaar, Campaign Director=0D
- CO-OPERAID, Dr. Rao Satapati, Director=0D
- Groupe sida Gen=C3=A8ve, M. David Perrot, Director=0D
- M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res - Suisse, Mr Christian Captier, Genera=
l Director=0D
- medicuba, Dr. med. Christian Jordi, President=0D
- MIVA Schweiz, Mr Marco Medici, Director=0D
- Pharmaciens Sans Fronti=C3=A8res - Suisse, Mrs M.-J. Barbalat, President=
=0D
- SID'Action (Lausanne), Mme Patricia Grigolin, Director=0D
- SolidarMed Suisse, Dr. med. Pepo Frick, Vice-President=0D
- Swiss Aids Care International, Mme Susann M=C3=A4usli, Director=0D
- Swiss Cancer League, Prof. Dr med. Thomas Cerny, President=0D
- Swiss Aids Federation, Mr Franz Walter, Director=0D
- terre des hommes schweiz, Mr Michael Herzka, Director=0D
- terre des hommes suisse, Mr Jean-Luc Pittet, Secretary General=0D
=0D
=0D
In a private capacity:=0D
- Mrs Ruth Dreifuss, Chairperson from the Commission on Intellectual=0D
Property Rights, Innovation and=0D
Public Health, appointed by the World Health Organization=0D
- Dr Claudia Kessler Bodiang, member of aidsfocus.ch=0D
- Mr Thomas Schwarz, Co-Director de Medicus Mundi Suisse=0D
- Mrs Helena Zweifel, Coordinator of aidsfocus.ch=0D
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___________________________________________________________________=0D
=0D
(1) Commission on Intellectual Property Rights. Integrating Intellectual=0D
Property Rights and Development Policy. London: CIPR, September 2002=0D
(www.iprcommission.org)=0D
(2) Report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation=0D
and Health. Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights,=0D
Geneva: April 2006=0D
(www.who.int/intellectualproperty/documents/thereport/en/index.html). See=
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also: Carlos CORREA. Integrating Public Health Concerns into Patent=0D
Legislation in Developing Countries. Geneva: South Centre, 2000 //=0D
UNCTAD-ICTSD. Ressource Book on TRIPS and Development. Cambridge University=
=0D
Press, 2005 // Sisule MUSUNGU (South Centre) and Cecilia Oh (World Health=
=0D
Organization). The Use of Flexibilities in TRIPS by Developing Countries:=
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Can they=0D
Promote Access to Medicines? Study 4C for the Commission on Intellectual=0D
Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health. Geneva: August 2005.=0D
(3)  Declaration on the TRIPS agreement and public health adopted on 14=0D
November 2001 (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/2)=0D
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+++++++++++++++++++++=0D
Sheila Shettle=0D
Communications Officer=0D
M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res=0D
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines=0D
Rue de Lausanne 78=0D
1211 Geneva=0D
Switzerland=0D
+ 41.22.849.8403=0D
sheila.shettle@geneva.msf.org=0D
www.accessmed-msf.org=0D
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