Low Cost Drug Production Talks End Inconclusively
Discussions involving officials within public health and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry came to an inconclusive end on the 10th November. The aim was to establish a route through which people in poorer nations could gain access to the drugs they require, cost-effectively.
Held in Geneva, the meeting’s sponsorship was provided by the United Nations’ World Health Organisation. It was put into suspension after no decision could be reached after the six-day long discussion period. An agreement, however, was forged between those taking part that new talks will be held in April 2008, with a view to agreeing a deal the following month.
Knowledge Ecology International’s director, James Love, described the situation as a “difficult negotiation”. He added: "Negotiators are creating new global norms and mechanisms to promote both innovation and access to medical technologies."
Talks to Set Guidelines for Production of Low Cost Drugs for Poor Countries
The talks’ aims are to establish guidelines through which the research and production of affordable treatments for diseases rife in areas such as Africa can be fostered and sustained, while maintaining respect for the intellectual property rights of the world’s dominant drug manufacturers.
Drugs for World’s Poorer Areas Underdeveloped
The industry contests that high revenues from the sales of drugs are required to fund such a programme, and disregards the WHO’s proposal. However, advocates of health – among them, Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) – argue that there is a lack of development when it comes to drugs for impoverished areas.
According to MSF, these latest talks witnessed some degree of resolution. "Countries are pushing WHO to be more active in resolving the access to medicines crisis, and take a pro-health approach to intellectual property," the group’s Michel Lotrowska described.
"Governments are taking steps to address the fundamental reasons why investment into innovation for diseases of the poor is lacking", she added.
The pharmaceutical industry was said to be dismayed, however, that an ultimate accord remained unreached by the talks’ end.
Pharmaceutical International will continue to provide unrivalled coverage of this situation as we get the facts.
Source – Pharmaceutical International’s Health Reporter
