[Ip-health] FT: Letter from MSF&Oxfam : What could be more of a short-term fix than the Novartis programme?

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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/680576de-af3d-11db-a446-0000779e2340.html

COMMENT & ANALYSIS
Letters
What could be more of a short-term fix than the Novartis programme?
By Ellen 't Hoen and Celine Charveriat
Published: January 29 2007 02:00 | Last updated: January 29 2007 02:00
>From Ms Celine Charveriatand Ms Ellen 't Hoen.
Sir, The statement by Dan Vasella, chief executive of Novartis, that the
company may have "a longer-term perspective than activists looking for
short-term fixes" ("Novartis plea to Indian drug makers", January 19)
strikes us as odd considering the sustainability of Novartis's donation
programme - a true short-term fix.
Undoubtedly, the programme means that patients in India, who would not
otherwise be able to afford more than $30,000 per year - what Novartis
charges for the cancer drug Glivec - can have access to the drug. But
donation programmes cannot guarantee treatment to all patients at all
times, in all countries, for all diseases. Moreover, such programmes can
be and have been withdrawn, cutting off the lifeline for poor patients. In
fact, generic competition is the only globally proven solution to reducing
the cost of medicines over the long term. In 2000, first-line
antiretroviral drugs cost up to $10,000 per patient per year, but thanks
to generic competition, today's price is just $136 per patient per year.
Novartis's call for generics companies to supply Glivec free is
nonsensical, given that it is actively pursuing a court case against India
that would prevent any generics company from even producing Glivec, let
alone supplying it for nothing.
The consequences of Novartis's relentless pursuit of a patent for Glivec
through the courts could extend far beyond this one drug. India now
recognises patents in accordance with the rules of the World Trade
Organisation and this will already have negative consequences on India's
ability to continue to be the developing world's pharmacy - 50 per cent of
Aids medicines in the developing world are Indian generics. Novartis is
now seeking through the courts even higher levels of patent protection
than India is obliged to provide under international trade rules.
The implications are that India will be unable to produce many life-saving
generic drugs, with dire consequences for millions around the world.

Celine Charveriat,
Head of Make Trade Fair,
Oxfam International

Ellen 't Hoen,
Director Policy Advocacy,
M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines


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SIGN MSF'S 'DROP THE CASE' PETITION

Millions of people around the world today rely on affordable medicines
produced in India.  Pharmaceutical company Novartis is taking the Indian
government to court to force a change in the country's patent law.  If
Novartis wins, a major source of affordable medicines for millions of
people across the globe could dry up.

MSF is urging Novartis to DROP THE CASE.

Find out more and sign up to our petition:
http://www.msf.org/petition_india/international.html
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