Bush To Revoke Exec Order on Intellectual Property Rights and HIV/AIDS Medicines in Africa

http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/ip-health/2001-January/000794.html

Zackie Achmat Zackie Achmat <zackie@pixie.co.za>
Tue, 23 Jan 2001 19:47:00 +0200

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Dear All

Sooner than decency would have allowed an "intelligent politician" but =

then we are all learning that politicians are often not blessed with =

intelligence.

Regards

Zackie Achmat

KAISER DAILY HIV/AIDS REPORT

A free service of kaisernetwork.org

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/

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, =

5/11/00).