[Ip-health] patent save lifes - Brazilian Directof of corporate Affairs of Novartis in the Gazeta Mercatil - Brazil

[MSF Michel Lotrowska]

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Patents save lives



Newspaper Gazeta Mercantil

By Nelson Mussolini =96 President of Abimip[1] and Director of Corporatives
Affairs from Novartis (Brazil)



March 7th 2007 =96 It has a long time that the paradox between access to
medicines and the intellectual property rights has been the core of debate
by different groups in society.  While patents provide legitimate
exclusivity rights, guaranteeing the ongoing innovation process, in
developing countries there is still restriction on access to essential
medicines due to poverty and weakness of health systems.



Actually, when we analyze the advances of medicine, we can see that it is
directly linked to high investments done by pharmaceutical companies in
research and development activities.  The fact is that patents are the core
of medicine evolution. Technology gave us new diagnostic techniques and
therapies which have contributed to the increase of population life
expectancy all over the world. Today, medicines are more selective, safe an=
d
efficacious and fight against diseases that used to be lethal or did not
have any option for treatment.  A proof of this is shown by the evolution o=
f
treatment for Aids patients.  While in the beginning of 1980, people with a
positive aids test had a death sentence announced, today HIV+ people are
able to control the disease and have a productive life. This was possible
thanks to the high investments pharmaceutical companies applied to develop
new molecules that enhance people's health.



But the need for innovation is an ongoing process. The cycle of research an=
d
development can not be interrupted in order to follow the diseases mutation=
.
A population living longer demands more care for conditions that they did
not suffer before. These care need billions of investments, done by private
initiative which needs the guarantee of return to keep investing.



The pharmaceutical activity is highly risky, and for this reason needs the
protection to innovation. Only in the year 2005, the twenty-two
international pharmaceutical companies, Interfarma members, invested more
than US$ 58 billions in the discovery of new medicines that will certainly
save thousands lives. One of ten thousands compounds has the potential to
become a new medicine. The synthesis of a new pharmaceutical product takes
an average of 10 years and accounts for 800 millions to 1,2 billions US
dollars. For this reason, there is the need that international agreements o=
n
patents become effectively complied in all countries. Only with the
protection of inventiveness capacity of thousand researchers all over the
world will be possible to keep saving lives.



Thinking about this issue, in 1994, it was signed in Uruguay, by more than
120 nations, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Propert=
y
Rights (TRIPS) which establishes minimum standards that all World Trade
Organization must be complied. Different of what was happening before the
agreement, countries can not reject the grant of patents in specific
technological fields, such as pharmaceutical sector.



Without any guarantee regarding patents, there is no money to finance
research. Without resources reserved for the discovery of new treatments
options, there will be no innovation. Without innovation, there is no hope
to change the prognostics of diseases. Those who do not respect intellectua=
l
property harm the health's right and annul the possibility to discovery
innovative therapies for the next generations.



The protection of intellectual property on medicines may seem unfair.
However, in fact, the lack of access of poor people to medicines is not
exclusively related to price. It is important to study the complexity of
this issue, which still involves weakness in development policies and healt=
h
systems, as well as their respective application processes. The best
medicine become of no utility when there is lack of basic infra-structure,
such as sanitation, transport, distribution and education.



There are countries where health investments are a bit over 1% of the GDP,
meanwhile the pharmaceutical companies invest 15-20% of their annual billin=
g
in research and development. Due to this scenario that the guarantee of
continuous investment is a priority.  One of the solutions to enhance acces=
s
to medicines for patients is the public-private partnerships, which promote
effective projects of product distribution for those who really need. To no=
t
respect the intellectual property rights is to leave next generations in a
world full of incurable diseases, as it was the case with leprosies  until
not long ago.



Patents save lives as they stimulate innovation, resulting in new medicines=
.
In my nearly 30 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical industry
and watching the progress of treatment for hepatitis, malaria, Aids,
leprosies, cancer and other diseases, I have no doubt in affirming: patents
save lives!



Free translation =85sorry for mistakes




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[1] Brazilian Association of Pharmaceutical Without Prescription Industry  =
-
Associa=E7=E3o Brasileira da Ind=FAstria de Medicamentos Isentos de Prescri=
=E7=E3o -
http://www.abimip.org.br/

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