PHA-Exchange> Millions of lives at stake: FAX Letters of Protest

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 from Sanjoy Kumar Nayak <sanjoy_k_nayak at yahoo.co.uk> -----

Millions of lives at stake: FAX Letters of Protest on Patent Act
to Indian Government
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This is the copy of the letter sent by MSF on revision of Indian
Patent Act to the President of India to confirm with the WTO /
TRIPS demands. For further details, please read:

Indian Parliament to discuss Patent Law - millions of lives at
stake
http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cfm?articleid=0040D3AF-94FE-4DF9-
B1A8B545E1A24D59

Will the lifeline of affordable medicines for poor countries be
cut?
http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cfm?articleid=892A769B-692B-47E4-
B7E1C1C20A510F1E


To
Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
President of India
Rashtrapati Bhawan
New Delhi 110 004
India

Geneva, February 22nd 2005

Your Excellency,

We understand that amendments to the Patent Act of 1970 of India
will be discussed in Parliament in the coming weeks. As a hu-
manitarian organisation providing medical assistance and relief
in nearly 80 countries around the world, Médecins Sans Fron-
tières (MSF) is writing to ask for your support to ensure that
patients in developing countries will continue to have access to
affordable medicines.

India has played a pivotal role in supplying affordable generic
versions of drugs used throughout the developing world. It has
also been a leader in the debates at the World Trade Organiza-
tion on the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights and its effects on Public Health.

Of the 700,000 people who currently receive antiretroviral
treatment in the developing world, 50% receive Indian generic
medicines. Today, MSF treats 25,000 people with antiretrovirals
in 27 countries around the world, and 70% of our patients use
medicines that originate in India. The availability of fixed-
dose combination therapy (or three-in-one pills) has revolution-
ised AIDS treatment, a fact we have witnessed first hand in our
own programmes. Providing this user-friendly form of treatment
has only been possible because there are no patent constraints
in India on putting these medicines together in one tablet.

MSF has examined the proposed amendments to the Patents Act of
1970. We believe they will drastically restrict, perhaps even
prevent, the production and supply of this vital therapy by In-
dian pharmaceutical companies to other developing countries.

India is the major manufacturer and supplier of affordable ge-
neric medicines. We strongly urge you to ensure that India’s
compliance with the WTO agreement on Trade-related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights will ensure maximum flexibility in
the Indian patent law and policies for the benefit of patients
as in India and globally.

We hope that India will continue to demonstrate the kind of in-
ternational leadership it has shown with the WTO Doha Declara-
tion on TRIPS and Public Health. We appeal to you that any
amendments to the law will safeguard not only the citizens of
India, but also the millions of children, women and men in the
developing world whose lives depend on access to affordable ge-
neric medicines.

Yours sincerely,

Rowan Gillies, M.B.B.S.
President, International Council
Médecins Sans Frontières
Geneva, Switzerland

Karim Laouabdia-Sellami, MD, MPH
Director, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Médecins Sans Frontières
Geneva, Switzerland

c.c. The Honourable Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
c.c. Smt Sonia Gandhi, National Advisory Council

Several major Indian NGOs/CSOs also have sent letters independ-
ently. Please FAX similar protest letters to: +91-11-

Dr Manmohan Singh
Honourable Prime Minster of India
The Prime Minister's Office
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi,
India-110 011
Fax: 23016857

Sri P Chidambaram
Honourable Minister of Finance
North Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi 110 011
Fax: 23093289

Sri Ramvilas Paswan
Honourable Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers
Room No. 192
Udyog Bhawan
New Delhi 110 001
Fax: 23015477

Dr Anbumani Ramadoss
Honourable Minster of Health and Family Welfare
Nirman Bhavan,
Maulana Azad Road
New Delhi 110011
Fax: 23016648

Sri Kamal Nath
Honourable Minster of Commerce & Industry
Udyog Bhavan
New Delhi
Fax: 23019947

Smt Sonia Gandhi
Chairperson UPA
10, Janpath
New Delhi 110 001
Fax: 23018651

Sri L K Advani
Leader of Opposition
30, Prithviraj Road,
New Delhi - 110003
Fax: 23017419
_______________________________________________




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