Stop Aids Campaign

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....Photo credit: budgetstockphoto.com

Multinational pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories has once again positioned itself against the rights of poor people to access life-saving treatment. This time Abbott is trying to stop the Government of Thailand from legally making affordable generic versions of key HIV and AIDS drugs.

Since November 2006, Thailand has issued compulsory licenses for three medicines, including the HIV drugs efavirenz and lopinavir/ritonavir (whose brand name is Kaletra). This procedure allows the production or importation of generic versions of the drugs. It is legal, fully consistent with the TRIPS Agreement, and follows the advice of the World Bank. This move would drastically reduce the prices of these medicines - so essential in achieving progress towards Universal Access to Treatment. It could also encourage other countries to follow suit, stimulating further benefits across the world.

However, in reaction, Abbott has decided to withdraw all applications to register drugs in Thailand, including heat-stable Kaletra. Further, it will not bring to market any new medicines in the country until the government revokes the compulsory license. If Abbott is successful in stopping the production of these generic medicines, it would not only be disastrous for patients in Thailand, but would also set an extremely dangerous precedent to countries across the world, deterring them from exercising their legal rights to access affordable medicines.

The Thai Network of People living with HIV and AIDS (TNP+) has said: “This action by Abbott is unprecedented by a pharmaceutical company, and a comprehensive and intensive global campaign is needed to ensure that this never happens again - and to register our disgust and condemnation for their precedence of profit over people”

Steve Cockburn from the Stop AIDS Campaign says: “If Thailand cannot use the TRIPS flexibilities, which are agreed by all WTO members, what is the value of such agreement? Abbott’s retaliation to the Thai government’s action will have dire effects on poor patients in Thailand and beyond, and must be stopped”.

The Stop AIDS Campaign urges G8 and EU countries, including the UK, to voice their support for the rights of the Thai Government to use TRIPS flexibilities in order to make affordable generic medicines. The Stop AIDS Campaign urges Abbott to stop its retaliation to the compulsory license, and end its irresponsible actions on drug registrations and prices in Thailand.

Following lobbying by the Stop AIDS Campaign, Hilary Benn promised to raise this issue at the G8 Development Ministers Meeting. DFID has informed us that Hilary Benn did raise the issue of TRIPs flexibilities at the G8 Development Ministers meeting, 26 and 27 March 2007, in the plenary discussion in the first session, with specific reference to the Thailand case, and then again at the concluding press conference, again with specific reference to Thailand. He also successfully negotiated for the inclusion of the following text into the Chair's Summary of the meeting:

“G8 Development Ministers reaffirm their commitment to come as close as possible to universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care by 2010. However the price of some drugs remains prohibitive for many countries, and more needs to be done to help lower their cost including the use of TRIPS flexibilities to the fullest extent.” (see below: link to the Chair's Summary for full text on AIDS/health)

TAKE ACTION
Please take a few minutes to tell Abbott to stop blocking access to medicines in Thailand.

> Click here to send a message to Abbott's CEO, Miles White



Find out more
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> An activist website dedicated to the actions of Abbott Laboratories
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> MSF’s statement on the case
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> Blogs from the Consumer Project for Technology
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> Chairs Summary: G8 Development Ministers Meeting, 26 - 27 March 2007
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> News briefs from Kaiser Network
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For more information or questions about the day please contact > steve@aidsconsortium.org.uk