[lit-ideas] Re: Protect the patents!
- From: Judy Evans <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lit-Ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 18:27:48 +0000
AR> But the U.S. government has said it will not purchase
AR> antivirals that aren't licensed for
AR> use by the Food and Drug Administration. In a speech last
AR> week, Michael Leavitt, secretary
AR> of HHS, said the U.S. "supports intellectual property and will defend the
importance of
AR> patent laws."
The EU and the WHO can waive patents, and I believe they will, so the
US may be on its own.
Meanwhile, the United States government -- which has been
AR> unbelievably slow and incompetent at even addressing this
AR> matter until the last few days --
that's overcomplimentary: the UK govt has promised enough vaccine for
the entire population and has "sleeping contracts" with companies
who'll work on it -- that interested me; presumably it sensed the wave
of scepticism and dissent re availability of the vaccine to the
privileged only. The US still only has plans to vaccinate 20 million
people. (And the money Bush is asking for seems rather a lot.)
(meanwhile a company in Hungary has advanced so far towards one --
that can easily and rapidly be modified as the exact nature of a
mutated virus becomes clear -- that it's almost certain to win the
race: but it's said it doesn't expect to be able to hold the rights
come a pandemic)
Thursday, November 3, 2005, 5:49:45 PM, Andreas Ramos wrote:
AR> Okay, folks... Andy is right about Pharma. Here's an item from Dan
Gillmor's blog:
AR> The Wall Street Journal is running a story that begins this way:
AR> Recent, surprising reports that generic Tamiflu can be made quickly and
easily may have
AR> important implications for the global supply of the drug,
AR> which is seen as a hedge against a
AR> bird-flu pandemic.
AR> The reports also raise questions about why Roche Holding AG, Tamiflu's
maker, said it
AR> would take years for its rivals to copy the drug.
AR> In other words: To protect its market, Roche has been grossly misleading
us. If Tamiflu
AR> helps reduce the outbreak that is coming, it'll save a lot of lives. Roche,
resisting
AR> generic manufacturing of the drug, apparently would rather
AR> dissemble than take the risk that
AR> other nations won't wait for a single company to produce
AR> enough -- something Roche doesn't
AR> seem interested in doing itself. Meanwhile, the United States government --
which has been
AR> unbelievably slow and incompetent at even addressing this
AR> matter until the last few days --
AR> has made absolutely clear what the priority will be:
AR> protecting profits, not lives. Near the
AR> end of the story:
AR> But the U.S. government has said it will not purchase
AR> antivirals that aren't licensed for
AR> use by the Food and Drug Administration. In a speech last
AR> week, Michael Leavitt, secretary
AR> of HHS, said the U.S. "supports intellectual property and will defend the
importance of
AR> patent laws."
AR> "We're resolved to work through the FDA to accelerate those licensing
arrangements and
AR> hope to see, at some point in time, the supply of the drug added," Mr.
Leavitt said.
AR> At some point in time? When this pandemic starts, there will not be any
time to spare.
AR> Remember what Leavitt said here. The Bush administration will defend
patents before it
AR> defends your life.
--
mailto:judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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