Médecins Sans Frontières - Patents - Production of generic drugs under threat (ENG)

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF149642

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Commissioning section MSF-FRANCE

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Duration 3m27s

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Additional Information / Shotlist Patents
The United States, the European Union and Japan are putting pressure on India to cut back on its production of generic drugs.
But this production is crucial to millions of people in developing countries.
Take this anti-retroviral drug. Developed in a laboratory in the US and manufactured in India, it is being used in a hospital in South Africa. But getting it there was a bumpy road:
First, there's the patent.
A new drug is generally patented for 10 to 20 years. During this time, it is meant to be marketed only by the laboratory that developed it and at a price they set in order to make returns on investment.
But once the patent expires, the formulation becomes available to other laboratories, which can then manufacture a cheaper, generic version of the drug. Often it is only then that medicines become affordable to developing countries.
But twenty years isn’t long enough for some laboratories looking to profit a while longer from the benefits of their patents. To extend them, some go as far as making minor modifications to the formulation of their drugs or adding therapeutic indications.

Another ploy, called data exclusivity, is applied to prevent generic drug manufacturers using the original laboratory’s research findings. This forces them to conduct clinical trials on an already proven formulation all over again. It’s time-consuming, costly and futile.
But how to get around these obstacles when patients urgently need access to these essential drugs?:
One way is by opposing the granting of a patent. Take Sofosbuvir, a drug used to treat hepatitis C. In France, a 12-week course of treatment costs 41,000 euros. An eye-watering price, for a molecule offering no innovation—according to aid agency Médecins du Monde, which has filed an opposition to the patent with the European patent office.
Alternatively, there are international agreements that enable poorer countries to override patents, when they consider that they run counter to patients’ interests.
Lastly, some countries, have introduced legislation to push generic drugs onto the market - such is the case in Brazil, Thailand and India, among others. Indian law states that a drug’s patent cannot be renewed unless it presents a substantial medical improvement, and consequently India has now become the pharmacy for the developing worlds. The cost of HIV/AIDS treatment is a good example. With the advent of generics, its price has dropped from 10,000 to 100 dollars in less than 10 years.
But, several countries have in recent years set about trying to weaken the Indian legislation. Japan, the European Union and the U.S. are using trade agreements in an attempt to protect (their own) pharmaceutical companies and their patents—to the detriment of the production of generic drugs.
Médecins sans frontières has recently launched a campaign urging the Indian Prime Minister to (stand strong and) protect the manufacture of generic drugs. This is the only way to reach patients who depend on affordable drugs for their survival.
Thanks to generic drugs produced in India, MSF is treating 200,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in addition to those suffering from tuberculosis, malaria and non-communicable diseases. Many more than the hundreds of thousands of sick patients receiving medical care from MSF will be affected by the threats hanging over India's patent law.

Patents - Production of generic drugs under threat (ENG) - DO NOT USE

Patents - Production of generic drugs under threat (ENG) - DO NOT USE