PHA-Exch> Sign-On Letter : Urge Roche to Supply Fuzeon for Patients

[KangAra]

Call-to-Action : Urge Roche to Supply Fuzeon for Patients
  
On July 3rd, Mr. Urs Flueckiger, President of Roche Korea said in the two-hour meeting with HIV activists and NGOs that the price for Fuzeon is "not negotiable". Fuzeon is an essential drug for HIV-positive people who have tried other anti-HIV drugs in the past and are unable to keep their viral loads undetectable using drugs that are currently available. Korea Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs listed Fuzeon on the price of $18,000 a year in 2004. However the Swiss drug giant Roche claimed $ 22,000 and has withheld the supply of this life saving drug in South Korea. 
  
A marketing director of Roche Korea said in the news interview that Roche has not supplied Fuzeon to developing countries including South Korea because they have no ability to pay for the drug. That is to say, Fuzeon will not be supplied for the countries who do not have enough money to pay for. In the meeting, Mr. Urs said 'we do not business for saving lives, but for making money. Saving lives is none of our business'. 
  
Roche argues that the demand for $22,000 is never excessive one because South Korea has the National Healthcare Insurance System and is classified into high-income country by World Bank. However, it should be noted that national healthcare system is currently under threat from multinational drug companies. Aggressive drug pricing policy by pharmaceutical companies is threatening not only developing countries but developed countries. 
  
Most developed countries have national healthcare system, but now it is shrinking from the multinational drug companies and FTAs. For instance, Korea-U.S. FTA makes it very difficult to issue 'compulsory licensing' which enables people to control drugs and undermines people's access to medicine by introducing various measures to strengthen patent and intellectual property protections on medicine. In this way, the national healthcare system even in the developed countries is rapidly changing and the burden of expensive medicine price now affects the people. 
  
Big pharmaceutical companies often argue that the problem of 'access to medicine' can be solved by charity and mercy to developing countries. However, the exact point is not 'access to medicine for poor' but 'access to medicine for all'. In addition, it should be emphasized that people's struggle to access the 3rd line therapy is also very important. Because we believe that any patient has a right to access the most suitable and affordable medicine for oneself. 
  
We believe that our struggle is your struggle and can be extended to the campaign against the aggressive drug pricing policy of big pharmaceutical companies and drug monopoly across the world. 
  
Therefore we are calling upon you to send signatures to urge Roche to desist from jeopardizing the lives of HIV patients. If you would like to sign on, please send your organization's name or your name and city/state where you live or work to <naengee at hotmail.com>. The deadline for sign-on is September 11, 2008. 
  
Thank you for your solidarity. 
  
Korea HIV/AIDS Network of Solidarity
Nanuri+, HIV/AIDS Human Rights Advocacy Group of Korea 
Public Pharmaceutical Center 
Solidarity for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Human Rights of Korea
Korean Gay Men's Human Rights Group 
Sarangbang, Group for Human Rights 
Health Right Network
Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights 
Association of Korea Doctors for Health Rights 
Association of Physicians for Humanism 
Korea Dentists Association for Health Society 
Korea Health and Medical Workers Union 
Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society
People's Solidarity for Social Progress 
Intellectual Property Left 
Korean Progressive Network Jinbonet 
Korea Leukemia Patient Group
New Progressive Party
  
  
Roche - Stop Killing and Give Us Fuzeon!
  
Fuzeon is an important part of combination treatment for people who have viruses that have become resistant to other available anti-HIV drugs. It was approved by the Korea Food & Drug Administration(KFDA) in May, 2004. However, the Swiss drug giant Roche has refused to supply the drug because of the failure of price negotiation with the government. 
  
Roche has claimed $22,000 for the price of Fuzeon in South Korea. The yearly cost of $22,000 is double that of the most expensive HIV treatments existing in the market. And if considering that the drug must be taken in combination with other medicines, the total cost of treatment could reach between $30,000 and $40,000 per patient per year. 
  
Roche is denying the access of people living with HIV/AIDS to the Fuzeon by charging unreasonably high price and even refusing to sell the drug in some countries including South Korea. 
  
Access to treatment for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS has been problems in most countries and the spread of drug-resistant HIV has accelerated rapidly over the last several years. It is very critical for HIV patients to get access to proper medicines. 
  
Roche's strategies on pricing and supply for Fuzeon has been threatening the lives of HIV　patients over the world as well as in South Korea. It is a crime against humanity. We urge Roche to stop abusing their power and supply Fuzeon at affordable price for every country where there are HIV/AIDS patients. Ara KangDirector of the Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society3F, 26-1, Ewha-Dong, Chongro-Gu,Seoul, South KoreaWebsite : http://www.pharmacist.or.krE-mail : naengee at hotmail.comTel : 82-11-389-0614Fax : 82-2-766-6025
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