[e-drug] Books on Pills (9)

["Mira Shiva" <mirashiva@yahoo.com>]

E-DRUG: Books on Pills (9)
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Dear Jim, 
  
Thank you for recalling the Kefauver report, it has been important for us in India too. The report had mentioned about India's drug prices being amongst the highest. It was the Indian Patent Act in 1970, evolved after long deliberations by Justice Iyengar Committee & other that the Drug prices became affordable as generic equivalents under process patent & patentability period of 5-7 years was allowed. 

Our patent act was called a model Patent Act for Developing countries by UNCTAD. It addressed public interest as well as the interest of the innovator in a balanced way.

For those who have studied & understood the importance of Policies that are Equity promoting & give adequate importance to distributive justice, the TRIPS measures are seen as unjust, & PUBLIC HEALTH DESTROYING. The NOVARTIS case in Chennai High Court which challenges "3d ' of our amended patent act, is shocking.

When even Rs 10,000 per month for GLIVEC [imatinib] generic equivalents is not payable by majority of the patients, who will be able to pay Rs 1'20,000 PER MONTH for Novartis' Glivec ?

Donations to few patients does not guarantee donation for ever to ALL Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia patients, when cancers are on the increase due to chemicalization of the body & the environment. The next hearing is on 26th March.
  
Thank you for mentioning Dr Milton Silverman & Mia Lydecker.  They had come to India & had met me, because we had a mutual friend Dr Olle Hansson. He was in a wheel chair & quite senior in age with a tremendous  gusto, sharpness & passionate desire to understand  what was going on in the drug scene in India. One felt charged after meeting him. He was an author of Drugging of Americas & after meeting him I felt  he was so much more at a human level,  & fellow rational Drug Campaigner level.

I totally agree that we should remember the tremendous contribution, of some of these committed people like Dr Milton Silverman , Dr Olle Hansson .
  
Thank you very much for mentioning the books. If anyone is doing the compiling I will be happy to contribute to the team effort .
 
With sincere regards 

Dr Mira Shiva
All India Drug Action Network 
Initiative for Health, Equity & Society 
A 60 Hauz Khas 
New Delhi 110016
mirashiva@yahoo.com