Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Did U.S. Move Threaten Public Health?

Civil society groups say a leaked document from regional free trade negotiations between countries bordering the Pacific Ocean shows the United States favouring giant pharmaceutical companies at the expense of public health. The United States, the groups said in a "briefing memo" are trying to suppress pre-grant opposition from the laws of the TPP negotiating countries. This effort is also trying to isolate India’s system, they added.

The briefing memo was written by Public Citizen, the Health Global Access Project, the Initiative for Medicine, Access and Knowledge (I-MAK), and the Third World Network. Full story from IP Watch here.

WTO, WIPO and WHO Examine Role of Patent Information in Access to Medicines

ICTSD's Bridges Weekly reports on the recent symposium held by the WHO, WTO and WIPO to discuss the role of patent information and access to medicines. Tahir Amin, Director of IP at I-MAK who presented at the symposium highlighted "the complexity in the manner patent information is presented, which in turn requires excessive time and resources to be spent on patent information searches. As a result, he emphasized, patent offices need to re-define how they present patent information, so that it is in a form that is more accessible." Full report here.

Drug company's loss could be Africa's gain

Sarah Boseley comments at the Guardian: Tahir Amin says Abbott had it coming, accusing the company of holding its HIV drug prices at an unaffordable level for the developing world for years. Amin hopes this is not just a single victory, but a game-changer. He hopes other big pharma companies will take heed and tell their lawyers not to seek new ways to gain or renew patents on drugs that are badly needed in poor countries.

India rejects US company's patent for anti-HIV drugs

Reported by NDTV: "Abbot has a history of pricing this drug much higher in developed countries that it should. A number of public health advocates have asked that abbot lower the price or license it to other companies they refused So basically, we intervened in India because we knew that Indian companies will be able to make a more affordable version," says Tahir M Amin, Director I-MAK.

Top 5 Global Health Headlines: India Rejects HIV Patent

PBS Newshour reports: The refusal to grant protection for Abbott means generic-drug companies can continue selling copies of the medication at a fraction of the price to the developing world.