E-DRUG: Event - Combating fake drugs: health, IP and global politics
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Dear E-Druggers,
If you can get to London, you are cordially invited to the event below, being held in London on
Wednesday 28th October.
We are delighted to host experts from afar, and hope for a lively
discussion in which many perspectives may be considered.
Attendance is free. We only ask that you RSVP to events |AT|
policynetwork.net (replace |AT| with @)
Many thanks,
Julian Harris
IPN
International Policy Network
"Julian Harris" <jharris@policynetwork.net>
EVENT INVITATION
Combating fake drugs: health, IP and global politics
DATE: Wednesday 28th October 2009
TIME: 12:15pm - 2:15pm (LUNCH SERVED)
LOCATION: 2 Lord North Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3LB
RSVP: Denise Teixeira, 020 3393 8410
events |AT| policynetwork.net (replace |AT| with @)
Featuring speakers:
Dr Paul Newton, University of Oxford
Dr Roger Bate, American Enterprise Institute
Bright B. Simons, co-founder of mpedigree.net, Ghana
Julian Harris, International Policy Network
Counterfeit and substandard medicines continue to kill thousands of
people every year, particularly in the poorest parts of the world. These
dodgy drugs not only hurt sick people directly, but also encourage the
emergence of drug-resistant strains of disease. In theory, the health
community -from government to drugs manufacturers - should be united in
tackling this global menace.
In recent months, however, concerted global action has been blown
off-course by the issue of intellectual property rights. Some activist
groups have accused the R&D-based pharmaceutical industry of using
anti-counterfeiting measures as a cover for furthering their patent
rights. The Indian generic drugs industry, meanwhile, claims that
counterfeit medicines and intellectual property are two completely
separate issues.
Is it true that intellectual property is irrelevant to combating the
scourge of fake drugs? Are trademarks a help or a hindrance? How can
technology help consumers ascertain whether their medicines are genuine?
Please join us for what promises to be a fascinating discussion with
some of the world's leading experts on counterfeit medicines.
RSVP essential: Denise Teixeira, +44 20 3393 8410
events@policynetwork.net
SPEAKERS:
Dr Paul Newton is an infectious diseases doctor from Oxford University.
He is based in Laos, heading the Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford
Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, and was lead researcher for
several peer-reviewed surveys of counterfeit drug levels in south
eastern Asia.
Dr Roger Bate is author of Making a Killing: The Deadly Implications of
the Counterfeit Drug Trade. A Legatum Fellow at the American Enterprise
Institute, he has commented on counterfeit drugs in publications such as
the Wall Street Journal.
Bright B. Simons is the Director of Development Research at IMANI, and
the Coordinator of the mPedigree Network, a mobile supply chain
standards developer. These duties have led to numerous quotations in the
international press, ranging from opinions in the Economist, New York
Times and Asian Times to appearances on the BBC. In 2009, he joined the
World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer Community at Davos. Bright is
a TED and Ashoka Fellow and a member of the Evian Group.
Julian Harris is a Research Fellow at International Policy Network, and
co-author of Keeping it Real: combating the spread of fake drugs in poor
countries. He has commented on fake medicines issues in publications
such as The Times, The Australian, Business Day and South China Morning
Post.