TRADE-TPP/HEALTH Consumer group warns about dangers of extending drug monopoly periods under TPP deal

Record ID: 145681

  • Title: TRADE-TPP/HEALTH Consumer group warns about dangers of extending drug monopoly periods under TPP deal
  • Date: 31st July 2015
  • Summary: OXFORD, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS) DOCTOR TAKING PATIENT'S BLOOD PRESSURE
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4MHK24O6X2MI8DEN8RFZ9GLKY
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Pacific Rim trade ministers neared the final spurt of negotiations on an ambitious free trade pact on Thursday (July 31), but differences remained, including disagreements over monopoly periods for next-generation drugs.
    According to Japanese Trade Minister Akira Amari, ministers from the 12 countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are deadlocked over medical monopoly periods -- the length of time a pharmaceutical company holds a patent on a new drug, preventing other companies manufacturing generic versions.
    Amari said he saw no sign of the United States backing down on a demand to protect for 12 years data used to develop biologic drugs, which are made from living cells.
    Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb has said he sees no legitimate reason to extend past five years.
    Many are concerned that longer monopoly periods will push up the cost of state-subsidized medicines and delay the introduction of cheaper alternatives, although pharmaceutical companies say the opposite is true.
    Peter Maybarduk, the director of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen's Access to Medicines Program, said he was concerned about the effects of a TPP agreement on the health of the countries' citizens.
    Maybarduk said he and his colleagues have been meeting with TPP negotiators to discuss medical monopolies.
    "Unfortunately, given the lobbying power of the pharmaceutical industry, if they're able to reach any agreement at all it's assuredly going to come at the expense of many patients and many people's lives, so we're doing everything we can to mitigate those harms, trying to make the rules a little less bad and ultimately, certainly preferring no TPP at all," Maybarduk said.
    He said his organization was concerned about the prohibitive cost of drugs for many people.
    "The patent industry wants to expand its monopoly power and be able to set any price they want, on any medicine, at any given time because unfortunately, the industry finds it makes the most money selling at high prices to the few, rather than affordable prices to the many, so that's what the patent based industry is looking for. The generic based industry wants to compete, wants to be able to enter those markets and compete and consumers need access to affordable medicines, so it's not at all in our interest that companies continue to expand their monopoly power," Maybarduk said.
    He said reducing the medical monopoly period could save patient lives.
    "If we can reduce the monopoly period by even a few years versus what is being proposed then we'll save a lot of lives so right now most countries don't have a special rule in this area, this is all about the pharmaceutical industry and unfortunately the U.S. government trying to make things worse for people. So it's really just a question about how much worse, and every year and every extra year of extradition monopoly costs people their health and costs our health systems billions of dollars," he said.
    The twelve countries working on the Pacific Rim trade deal are scheduled to end their meetings on Friday (July 31).
    The deal, which would be a legacy-defining agreement for U.S. President Barack Obama, would cut trade barriers and set common standards on issues ranging from workers' rights to copyright for 40 percent of the world economy.
    The deal originated in three-way talks between Chile, Singapore and New Zealand in 2002, and also includes Brunei, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Vietnam.
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