[e-med] Des malades d'Indes s'opposent au brevet du Combivir

["remed" <c.bruneton@remed.org>]

[Résumé de l'article ci-dessous préparé par CR]

Cet article annonce que une association d'Inde de malades atteints du SIDA 
ont
demandé à un avocat de s'opposer juridiquement à la demande de brevet
déposée par Glaxo SmithKline pour le combivir. Pour cela ils ont deux
arguments: 1) que Combivir est une association de produits existants
utilisés dans les mêmes indications, ce n'est donc pas un produit nouveau,
et 2) que si GSK obtenait la protection du brevet, le prix s'en
ressentirait. L'article signale aussi que Combivir est fourni par des
organisations internationales, comme MSF, qui le trouvent en génériques. Une
liste de pays où Combivir est utilisé est aussi donnée dans l'article.

----- Original Message ----- 

Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2006 16:21:21 -0500
From: Mike Palmedo <mpalmedo@cptech.org>
To: "Ip-health" <ip-health@lists.essential.org>
Subject: [Ip-health] Indo Asian News:  Indian group opposes patenting of
AIDS drug


http://www.dailyindia.com/show/13042.php/Indian_group_opposes_patenting_of_=
AIDS_drug

Indian group opposes patenting of AIDS drug

March 30, 2006
By Indo Asian News Service

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) An Indian group of people living with
HIV/AIDS have opposed a patent application filed by global pharma major
GlaxoSmithKline for Combivir, a fixed dose combination AIDS drug on the
grounds that it would make the treatment unaffordable.

Represented by the Lawyers' Collective HIV/AIDS Unit, the Indian Network
of People Living with HIV/AIDS and the Manipur Network of Positive
People Thursday officially submitted their opposition to a patent
application filed at the Kolkata patent office by GlaxoSmithKline.

The opposition is based on technical and health grounds.

'We are objecting to the patenting of Combivir - a fixed-dose
combination of the two essential AIDS drugs zidovudine and lamivudine -
because it is not a new invention but simply the combination of two
existing drugs,' said K.K. Abraham, president of the Indian Network of
People Living with HIV/AIDS.

'More importantly, the granting of such a patent risks increasing the
cost of anti-retroviral treatment for many people living with HIV/AIDS,
thereby further increasing the burden on developing countries already
struggling to treat patients.'

Combivir is used extensively in projects run by international aid
organisations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Almost all the
Combivir used by MSF is generic.

India, Burkina Faso, Mongolia, Central African Republic, Malawi, Peru,
Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Ukraine and Swaziland are other countries
identified by the Global Fund for using generic Combivir.

'Decisions made by Indian patent offices are a question of life or death
for people living with HIV/AIDS who rely on the availability of
affordable AIDS drugs and other essential medicines made by Indian
generic manufacturers,' said Anand Grover, director of Lawyers
Collective HIV/AIDS Unit.

Last year, India changed its patent law to comply with the World Trade
Organisation's TRIPS Agreement that governs trade pacts and intellectual
property rights.

Three weeks ago, India granted its first patent on a drug to a Hepatitis
C treatment produced by Roche.

Public interest groups are deeply concerned that this will set a
precedent, leading to the patenting of other essential medicines
including anti-retrovirals for treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

--
Mike Palmedo
Research and Web
Consumer Project on Technology
T =96 202-332-2670
F =96 202-332-2673
mpalmedo@cptech.org