E-drug: AIDS: USA / BRAZIL at WTO
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ACT UP-PARIS PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 2, 2001
Press Contact : Julien Devemy / Sylvain Coudret - (33) 01 49 29 44 75
Marie de Cenival - 04 95 08 29 94
The WTO Menaces the Survival of 100,000 People with AIDS
(Geneva) Yesterday at 10:00 am local time, the World Trade Organization
received a request from the United States and established an arbitration
panel to investigate the conformity of a Brazilian intellectual property
law to WTO rules.
The Bush administration views this law, which allows 100,000 people
with HIV/AIDS to survive because of access to generic antiviral
drugs, as a threat to US pharmaceutical company patents.
The measure has permitted Brazil to duplicate and produce seven
antiviral brand-name AIDS drugs since 1996 and distribute them free of
charge to sick Brazilians at a cost ten times less than the price
proposed by American drug companies. In conformance with "TRIPS"
intellectual property provisions, the law stipulates exceptions to
patent rights in rare cases. In a public health emergency, the measure
allows production of medicines normally protected by a license, without
the authorization of the patent holder. Protected by this exemplary
legislation, Brazil can pursue its policy of caring for people suffering
from HIV/AIDS free of charge. It could extends its production of AIDS
drugs to protease inhibitors, the new HIV drugs that, when added to
three-drug regimens, are extremely effective in reducing the amount of
virus in the body and improving overall health.
The lives of more than 100,000 Brazilians, and millions to come who
could benefit from Brazil's export capacity or technology transfer,
are held in the balance by the discussions at the World Trade
Organization.
Following an appeal by more than one hundred Brazilian activist NGOs,
ACT UP-Paris put the WTO and its experts on notice that they must resist
unprecedented pressure from multinational drug companies. The case of
Brazil will set an important legal precedent.
ACT UP-Paris condemns the intense pressure of multinational drug
companies on the US government, bought at the cost of millions of
dollars: these multinational drug companies spent $230m in campaign
contributions to help elect a US president who would protect their
interests.
ACT UP-Paris condemns the murderous pressure that the Bush
administration has brought to bear on the World Trade Organization,
whose laws have been dictated by the same interests that are endangering
the lives of tens of thousands people.
ACT UP-Paris calls on the leaders of the principal international
organizations charged with world health policy - ONUSIDA, OMS, UNICEF,
PNUD, - to declare that they are in favor of protecting Brazil's
patent law, and the Bush administration to withdraw its complaint.
Marie de Cenival
Act Up-Paris
Commission Nord/Sud
tel (33) 04 95 08 29 94
fax (33) 01 48 06 16 74
planetafrica@asso.globenet.org
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