PHM-Exch> Stop the India-EU FTA, Decimator of the 'Pharmacy of the World'!

[변혜진]

*Stop the India-EU FTA, Decimator of the 'Pharmacy of the World'!*

*- The Korea-EU FTA, which Shall Restrict the Constitutional Rights *

*of Koreans, Must Also Be Dismantled -*




*For Immediate Release* March. 2, 2011
*Contact*: Haejin Byun, unoccupy at gmail.com

(Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights)
Miran Kwon, rmdal76 at gmail.com

(Solidarity for HIV/AIDS Human Rights, Nanuri+)





The European Union is shrugging off its previous flexible FTA towards the
pursuit of a new FTA policy attempting to aggressively disable all tariffs
and non-tariff barriers to trade. The first targets for this new FTA policy
are the Republic of Korea and India. The Korea-EU FTA and India-EU FTA are,
like the Korea-US FTA, comprehensive and aggressive liberalization policies
geared towards the benefit of multinational corporations. The North American
Free Trade Agreement and the Central America Free Trade Agreement has had
devastating effects. The rose-tinted futures promised by the developed
nations are nowhere to be found and these free trade agreements have only
led to increases in food and medicine prices, the breakdown of public
services, and the loss of sovereignty.





This spring, the free trade agreement in talks between India and the
European Union is notable for being a death knell for over citizens in over
120 developing nations. Because of the India-EU FTA scheduled to be signed
in March, India's contribution as 'The Pharmacy of the World' is about to
disappear. India has complied with the TRIPS agreement since 2005 but has
limited its standard* *of patents when clinical effects are proven to be
significantly better than that of previous medicines and was able to
continue being the Pharmacy of the World. Above all, the price of India's
generic medicines are only 5~10% of those of multinational corporations
being expensively sold through patents or data exclusivity. India also can
produce variations of formulations fit to the needs of the patients, and is
also selling medicine, such as pediatric AIDS medications considered
unprofitable by multinational drug corporations.





However, with the signature of the India-EU FTA and the advent of data
exclusivity, India will have much difficulty in developing, producing and
exporting generics. Those who have depended on generics made in India will
be pushed to the brink of death. The India-EU FTA is a deal with the lives
of patients spread over 120 countries.





Data exclusivity refers to the exclusivity given to original medicines by
delaying the marketing of generics by preventing source information on
safety and efficacy, given to generics manufacturers on market approvals.
When this is given, even unpatented medicines or those with lapsed patents
are given sales exclusivity, preventing their production and export, or even
for public use of patents such as through compulsory licensing. Whether its
through patents or data exclusivity of original medicines, patients will
suffer the same. While data exclusivity has a shorter time period than
patents, it can be obtained through a much simple process. What the
multinational drug corporations are after is to obtain higher profit by more
easily obtaining monopolies on new drugs which neither adhere to India's
patent standard or are more clinically effective.





India provides for 20% of the world generics market. In particular it
provides 90% of the developing world's AIDS medicine supply and 50% of the
world's AIDS medicine needs. Analyzing AIDS medication supply in 115
countries by The WHO, Global FUND and UNITAID, India took up over 80% of the
provision for generic AIDS medications for these international
organizations(donor-funded purchase) since 2006, with the number at 87% in
2008. If adding Indian AIDS medications provided by public medical
organizations in Thailand, Brazil, South Africa and Nepal(government-funded
purchase), the proportion exceeds 80%. Pediatric AIDS medication is also
largely provided by India, at 91% of the market.





Koreans also need Indian generics. We have experienced firsthand the harsh
reality of being pushed into the streets because of the price of medicine.
Leukemia medication Glivec is available in a generic India-produced version
called Veenat at a twentieth of the cost. A first antiretrovirals costing a
million to a million and a half won (900~1400 dollars) a month in Korea
costs less than a hundred dollars in its generic Indian version. Even today
there are patients who are buying generic Indian medicines because the cost
of originals are too high. Can we truly comprehend the desperation of a
patient who, when confronted with the refusal of a doctor to prescribe
medication because of restrictions on import, thinks of resorting to drug
smuggling? India is a last safe haven for Korean patients.





Our constitutional rights, as with the Korea-US FTA, will fall into the
hands of multinational corporations, as they have with this Korea-EU FTA.
The Korea-EU FTA has opened the area of public service to multinational
corporations. With this FTA, post offices and waterworks, broadcasting and
telecommunication companies are opened for multinational corporations'
profit. It goes without saying prices in these areas will rise. Intellectual
property rights will strengthen and copyright extends for twenty more years,
and there will be no way to shorten medicine patents or terms for data
exclusivity. Access to information will be restricted and medicine prices
will be difficult to maintain. Aside from this, the FTA with EU also
resembles that with the US, making it possible for the former to enable the
import of European beef from the very source of mad cow disease. The fall of
Korean agriculture is inevitable. European agricultural products are kept
artificially cheap through high government subsidies, and their Korean
equivalents will suffer. When the Korean countryside has shown to be
devastated by foot-and-mouth disease, signing this agreement is to sign the
death warrant for our farmers.





The Korea-EU FTA must be dismantled. And the lives of patients in over 120
countries are on the line regarding the India-EU FTA. What will devastate
the Pharmacy of the World must also be stopped*.*





March 2nd, 2011



*April revolution society*

*Center for Health and Social Change*

*Dary*

*Democratic Labor Party Sexual Minor Committee*

*FOR PWLH GROUP, LOVE4ONE *

*Health Right Network*

*Intellectual Property Left*

*Korean Alliance against the Korea-US FTA*

*Korea GIST Patients Group*

*Korea HIV/AIDS Network of Solidarity *

*Korea Leukemia Patients Group *

*Korea Progressive Academy Council*

*Korean Progressive Network Jinbonet*

*Korean Urban Poor Association (KOSC, Union liberated the poor squatters)*

*Korean Womenlink*

*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]

*National Association of Professors for Democracy***

*People's Health Institute *

*People**’s Solidarity for Social Progress *

*Progressive Strategy Council*

*Saranglbang group for human rights*

*Sexuality politics committee New Progressive party *

*Solidarity against Disability Discrimination*

*SPECWATCH KOREA*

*Solidarity for HIV/AIDS Human Rights Nanuri+*[ Korean Pharmacists for
Democratic Society/ Korean Gay Men’s Human Rights Group / Public
Pharmaceutical Center / Solidarity for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender
Human Rights of Korea]


-- 
건강권실현을 위한 보건의료단체연합
기획국장 변혜진
KFHR(Korean Medical Action Groups for Health Rights)
Director of Planning Board, Byeon, Hey-jin
phone +82-2-3675-1987 fax +82-2-766-6025
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