[Ip-health] Korea Times: Trade Pact Risks Environment, Public Health

[Mike Palmedo]

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200704/kt2007040220543211910.htm

Trade Pact Risks Environment, Public Health

Kim Tong-hyung
Korea Times
April 2, 2007

[snip]

Opening the market for pharmaceuticals poses another problem. With U.S.
pharmaceutical firms looking to sell its high-priced drugs in the local
market, there are worries that the country will be forced to restructure
its national health insurance system that relies on cost control of
prescription drugs.

Under the deal, the Korean government will deny a local pharmaceutical
company the license to sell generic drugs should the U.S. company that
produced the original drug file a lawsuit over patent infringement.

Currently, Korean firms were allowed to produce generic drugs after the
patent right of the original drugs expires.

However, considering that most Korean companies had been filing for the
license to sell generic drugs before the patent deadline to fast-track
its market release, critics argue that the new deal has the same effect
of extending the patent rights of U.S. drug companies.

"It will be a big blow to Korean companies that rely much of the revenue
on the sales of generic drugs, and also threaten the government=92s
ability to control the prices," said Cho Kyong-ae, who heads the civic
group Health Right Network.

[snip]