E-DRUG: Pharma produces medicines for profit, not for patients (2)
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Hi,-
It is shame that we have to listen to such absurd charges from a pharmaceutical company official.
Compulsory licensing is permissible under law and can be enforced if the country feels that interest of patients is being sacrificed.
The very fact that an Indian company can sell the same medicine at 97% less price shows that the complainant was charging this amount from the cancer patients. Pharmaceutical company earning profits from patients is acceptable but not such profiteering.
Charging Indian Government for weakening IPR on this count is flight of imagination as compulsory licensing is a recognized built-in protective mechanism to protect the vulnerable populations. Other countries should learn from this and adopt such protection for their populations.
Under no definition compulsory licensing is "essentially theft".
And to say that they didn't make this medicine for Indians; but made it for western patients who can afford it, shows their interests and intentions.
Professor Dr Vijay Thawani, India
"Vijay Thawani" <vijaythawani@rediffmail.com>