The BRICS members are going to seek support from WTO in disputes with EU and US drugs patents. They are wanting to promote cheaper generic drugs to their own population stating that the developing countries rights "to promote access to medicines for all". But the large drug companies are stating this will cost them billions in lost sales.
http://thebricspost.com/brics-push-back-against-eu-us-on-drug-patents/#.WOGlKYWcFYc
What do you think? How do pharmas protect their rights long enough to pay for research costs while still not depriving those who need their discoveries from actually buying the products at affordable prices?
ReplyDeleteThe pharmaceuticals are giving those countries a break already by reducing the time a patent lasts in those regions. Since each trade region or country negotiates their own TRIPS agreement. They should have taken into account the long term affect of the agreement. I firmly believe that the pharmaceuticals should be allowed to profit on their work since that is what fuels the next generation of treatments. New discoveries don't come free. In the long run when patents run out the cost of treatments will drop. That same ideology applies to any commodity in an open market. Let the originators benefit from their expenses and time to finding their discoveries. The truly "sticky" part is when those countries start producing the product and sending to other countries that have a longer waiting period before they can produce the same product. That is when it becomes black market goods and the TRIPS agreement is broken because the drug is not used for the TRIPS countries domestic use and sells on the world market, illegally. The pharmaceuticals are allowing the developing countries to produce the drug to try to improve the lessor developed countries medical situations and its own people.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't there be a negotiation between WTO (public health) and private industry regarding basic costs for "access to medicines for all" if properly managed this should not be an issue. We are relying too heavily on private industry to solve a social problem and the two don't mix. If federal money is used in any portion of the process of the drug including research studies then your drug should not just be "yours" anymore. If R&D is completely privately funded, I don't see how there can be an argument besides one of ethical responsibility. This question make me wonder about who do we need to make a profit at the expense of:the underserved,children,sick,elderly and dying? How much profit should you be allowed to make on basic medicines that are essential to everyday living. Alexander Fleming gave penicillin to the world and did not make a profit.- Sacha B
ReplyDelete.
Your combined discussions hold the key to the answers to 'open market' dilemmas. Ethics in the form of consideration for the society in which one lives (the planet), must take an equal seat with profit. Maximizing profit does not always mean maximizing margins. Profits do not always mean monetary gains.
ReplyDelete