E-DRUG: Friday U.S. Capitol Hill Briefing on Thailand Situation
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From Ben Krohmal/ Knowledge Ecology International
There will be a joint House and Senate briefing on Thailand's compulsory licenses from 10-11am on Friday, March 16 in the U.S. Capitol building.
The briefing is co-sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown and Congressman Tom Allen.
The text of their "dear colleague" invitation follows:
Congress of the United States
Washington, DC 20515
Thailand's Compulsory Licenses on Drugs
Good Step for Public Health or Bad Precedent for Intellectual Property?
March 14, 2007
Dear Colleague:
We invite you to attend a briefing on the Government of
Thailand's issuance of compulsory licenses for HIV/AIDS and heart
medicines.
Background: Since November 2006, Thailand has issued
compulsory licenses on two patented drugs for HIV/AIDS and one for
heart disease. The Government of Thailand says it took this action
to gain access to less expensive generic versions of drugs, finding
that high prices for brand-name drugs had created a significant
obstacle to treating people with HIV/AIDS and heart disease. A
compulsory license is a legal tool available to governments to
override patents, with compensation to the patent holder, in order to
meet a public need.
Controversy: Many in the pharmaceutical industry
question the legality and the wisdom of the Thai compulsory licenses,
arguing that international law only permits compulsory licensing
under very narrow circumstances. Public health advocates say that
the Thai Government acted in accordance with international law,
pursuant to the TRIPS agreement the "Doha Declaration" on public health.
How should the U.S. respond? At stake are the
commercial interests of U.S. companies and public health and popular
opinion in Thailand. This issue has implications for other
developing nations who may look to compulsory licenses as a remedy to
lack of access to affordable drugs, and for pharmaceutical companies
that want to protect their intellectual property. The debate could
also impact the U.S. government's use of compulsory licenses on
products like software, energy efficient cars, medicines and medical
devices. To discuss this issue, we will hear from:
Mark Grayson, Deputy Vice President for Communications at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA);
James Love, Director of Knowledge Ecology International, an international non-government organization specializing in intellectual property issues;
Dr. Buddhima Lokuge, U.S. manager of the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines at Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Robert Weissman, Director of Essential Action, and a legal advisor onintellectual property rules for bodies such as the World Health Organization.
Dean Ronald A. Cass, Dean Emeritus of Boston University School of Law, Chairman of the Center for the Rule of Law, and former Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the U.S. International Trade Commission.
When: Friday, March 16, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Where: S-115, the Capitol.
We hope you can join us for this timely briefing.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
Tom Allen
Judit Rius Sanjuan
Attorney
Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
www.keionline.org / www.cptech.org
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA
Tel.: +1.202.332.2670, Ext 18 Fax: +1.202.332.2673
judit.rius@keionline.org