[Pharm-policy] Britain dangles tax breaks for drugs groups helping developing world

[James Love]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Britain dangles tax breaks for drugs groups helping developing world
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 15:51:34 -0500

Britain dangles tax breaks for drugs groups helping developing world 
                               
02/23/2001 
Agence France-Presse
(Copyright 2001) 
                    
LONDON, Feb 23 (AFP) - Britain could offer tax breaks to
pharmaceuticals companies which throw their
weight behind efforts to combat deadly diseases such as
AIDS and tuberculosis hitting developing
countries.

Chancellor Gordon Brown said that next month's budget could
change the tax status of donations of
drugs and vaccines by pharmaceutical companies to
developing countries. 
 
                    
But he said drugs group, much criticised for their policy
on drugs sales to poor countries, would have to
give something back in return.

"It is important that the drugs companies are prepared to
respond to any initiative that would cost public
funds so we are looking to a response from the
pharmaceutical companies," Brown told a briefing.

He said that with 11 million people dying each year of
preventable and treatable diseases, mostly in the
developing countries, measures were needed to stimulate
further research and development by the
drugs companies.

"There is a gap here that has got to be bridged. Clearly we
have not moved far enough and we have not
moved fast enough," Mr Brown said. 

"If we can move forward with a great deal more urgency than
in the past, this is literally an issue where we
can save lives."

Drugs groups have faced criticism for using patents to
block the manufacture of cheap generic copies of
their expensive treatments for deadly illnesses.

Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline this week unveiled plans to
offer AIDS drugs at deep discounts to
developing countries through aid organisations.

                     mro/hd