[e-drug] Expanding the WHO Model Essential Medicines List (7)

["James Packard Love" <james.love@keionline.org>]

E-DRUG: Expanding the WHO Model Essential Medicines List (7)
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Dr. Reidenberg, the Chair of the 2007 WHO Expert Committee on the  
Selection and Use of  Essential Medicines, has responded to our  
proposal to expand the WHO EML with the odd comment that this "would  
be potentially misleading at this time," and defending the new model  
EML as having "a number of patented medicines."

The WHO EML has very few patented drugs outside of one disease --  
AIDS.   AIDS drugs were only added to the EML when it was clear that  
countries could obtain generic products at much lower prices.

The dearth of patented medicines on the EML for cancer, heart  
disease, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases is a political  
decision to not recognize that many products would be cost-effective  
if available at generic prices.

Critics of the use of compulsory licensing point to the WHO model  
EML, claiming that the lack of patented medicines undermines the case  
for compulsory licensing, a modern Catch-22 which is defended by the  
Expert Committee.

What is misleading and harmful to the poor is the suggestion that  
patent protection is not related to "cost-effectiveness," or that  
countries cannot choose to override exclusive rights and obtain  
access to cheaper generic copies, which changes the cost- 
effectiveness calculations.   More candor on this issue is long overdue.

  James Love

ANNEX

Ben Krohmal's review of the 2007 model EML against the U.S. FDA  
Orange Book finds only three patented medicines outside of many  
products listed for AIDS.

Proguanil	Malaria prophylaxis
Levofloxin	Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (complementary list)
Eflornithine	Antiprotozoal for trypanosomiasis (complementary list)

HIV/AIDS
Abacavir, Antiretroviral
Didanosine, Antiretroviral
Lamivudine, Antiretroviral
Stavudine, Antiretroviral
Efavirenz, Antiretroviral
Nevirapine, Antiretroviral
Indinavir, Antiretroviral
Ritonavir, Antiretroviral
Lopinavir + ritonavir, Antiretroviral
Nelfinavir, Antiretroviral
Saquinavir, Antiretroviral
tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, Antoretroviral
emtricitabine/tenofovir, Antiretroviral
efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir, Antiretroviral

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James Packard Love
Knowledge Ecology International
http://www.keionline.org
Washington, DC +1.202.332.2670
james.love@keionline.org