Monday, September 13, 2010

NGOs, patient groups alert PMO not to act on behest of OPPI on patent issues

A large number of patient groups, groups working on public health and HIV, public interest organizations, experts and concerned citizens have demanded to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to immediately withdraw the biased and one-sided notes which the PMO had reportedly circulated to the union ministries of commerce, health, legal affairs and chemicals at the urging of OPPI to amend key public health safeguards in the Patents Act including Section 3(d), and asking for patent linkages and data exclusivity.

The NGOs and experts in a letter to the PMO said that the OPPIs’ demands are contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian law, and will severely undermine access and availability of affordable quality generic medicines. “We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without any prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by OPPI and US and European Pharmaceutical companies are either sub-judice or have been rejected by Indian Courts keeping in mind the Government’s constitutional obligations of life & health”, the letter said.
For full story click here

No comments:

Post a Comment