E-DRUG: European Commission on Indian drugs case
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Please find below an article from the EuroStep Newsletter about the
Novartis issue and the EC position.
http://www.eurostep.org/wcm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=0
Mandelson keeps mum on Indian drugs case
The European Commission has refused to ask the Swiss pharmaceutical giant
Novartis to drop its case against an Indian law allowing the manufacture
of affordable medicines.
Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said that while the EU executive is
following the case before the Madras High Court with interest, it would
not emulate the European Parliament by requesting that Novartis halt its
litigation. Mandelson said that the Commission's principle is not to
intervene in such court cases.
Novartis has written recently to all MEPs asking them not to sign a
declaration against the case. The company argued that its case concerns
the patentability of its cancer treatment Glivec [imatinib] and not the wider issue
of access to cheap medicines.
But Medecins Sans Frontieres has expressed concern that the case could
lead India to introduce a patent system for medicines similar to that
found in wealthy countries. This would require that each small
modification to a medicine is covered by several patents, thus making it
far more difficult for India to produce cheap generic drugs for developing
countries.
More than half of all medicines used for treating AIDS in developing
countries are manufactured in India.
Sources:
www.msf.org
www.europarl.europa.eu
Alexandra Heumber
EU Advocacy Liaison Officer
Medecins Sans Frontieres
Access to Essential Medicines Campaign
Rue Dupre, 94. 1090 Brussels
++32 (0) 2 474 75 09 (Dir off)
++ 32 (0) 479 514 900 (Mob)
++ 32 (0) 2 474 75 75 (Fax)
"Alexandra HEUMBER" <Alexandra.HEUMBER@brussels.msf.org>