PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 377 - 24 Aug 2002

Pharma industry’s stance on third-world patents criticised

The pharmaceutical industry has been criticised forfailing to improve its response to the health crisis indeveloping countries in a report compiled by Oxfam,Save the Children and VSO, according to PharmaceuticalMarketing.

Although recent moves by the industry towards pricereduction have been acknowledged by the three leadingpressure groups, the failure of pharmaceuticalcompanies to adopt a systematic approach to tiereddrug pricing has been criticised in the report. Such anapproach to pricing would lead to lower drug prices, thereport suggests, and would strengthen the ability toimprove global health without affecting industry profits.In addition, the industry’s inflexible stance regardingdrug patents has been criticised; higher drug prices indeveloping countries will continue to be effected by theindustry’s failure to adopt a flexible interpretation ofintellectual property rights, suggests the report.Pharma under fire: industry criticised over tough stance on Third World patents.Pharmaceutical Marketing 14: 10, Aug 2002 800896840

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 24 Aug 2002 No. 3771173-5503/10/0377-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved