Bush considers reversing Africa Executive Order

. Bush Reviewing Executive Order Allowing International Importation of Generic

HIV/AIDS Drugs

         President Bush may reverse former President Clinton's executive order

that allows sub-Saharan African governments to import generic versions of

HIV/AIDS medications from other countries where the drugs are manufactured while

still under U.S. patent, Bloomberg News/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

According to drug companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, the "world's largest

producer of AIDS drugs," as well as Merck & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and

Roche Pharmaceuticals, the executive order, signed by Clinton in May, "changed

the way their drugs are priced" (Rosenkrantz, Bloomberg News/Pittsburgh

Post-Gazette, 1/22).  According to the order, the United States "shall not seek,

through negotiation or otherwise, the revocation or revision of any intellectual

property law or policy" of sub-Saharan African countries provided that they

promote "access to HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals or medical technologies for affected

populations in that country."  In essence, the order holds African countries to

the "less stringent standard of a World Trade Organization agreement on

intellectual property protection," instead of U.S. trade laws concerning patents

(Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, Tuesday, January 23, 2001).