[lit-ideas] Protect the patents!
- From: "Andreas Ramos" <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lit-Ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 09:49:45 -0800
Okay, folks... Andy is right about Pharma. Here's an item from Dan Gillmor's
blog:
The Wall Street Journal is running a story that begins this way:
Recent, surprising reports that generic Tamiflu can be made quickly and easily may have
important implications for the global supply of the drug, which is seen as a hedge against a
bird-flu pandemic.
The reports also raise questions about why Roche Holding AG, Tamiflu's maker, said it
would take years for its rivals to copy the drug.
In other words: To protect its market, Roche has been grossly misleading us. If Tamiflu
helps reduce the outbreak that is coming, it'll save a lot of lives. Roche, resisting
generic manufacturing of the drug, apparently would rather dissemble than take the risk that
other nations won't wait for a single company to produce enough -- something Roche doesn't
seem interested in doing itself. Meanwhile, the United States government -- which has been
unbelievably slow and incompetent at even addressing this matter until the last few days --
has made absolutely clear what the priority will be: protecting profits, not lives. Near the
end of the story:
But the U.S. government has said it will not purchase antivirals that aren't licensed for
use by the Food and Drug Administration. In a speech last week, Michael Leavitt, secretary
of HHS, said the U.S. "supports intellectual property and will defend the importance of
patent laws."
"We're resolved to work through the FDA to accelerate those licensing arrangements and
hope to see, at some point in time, the supply of the drug added," Mr. Leavitt said.
At some point in time? When this pandemic starts, there will not be any
time to spare.
Remember what Leavitt said here. The Bush administration will defend patents before it
defends your life.
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