Patent Medicines

The international medical humanitarian agency, Doctors Without Borders or MSF has reiterated its concern about what it says is an increasing barrage of intense criticism that India faces for its progressive patent law and policies, not only from multinational pharmaceutical companies but also from developed countries. India remains a critical producer of affordable medicines, and competition among generic drug manufacturers in there has brought down the price of medicines for diseases like HIV, TB and cancer by over ninety percent. Some of the world's poorest countries rely heavily on generic medicines manufactured in the South Asian country, known as the pharmacy of the developing world. MSF argues that any changes that erode the safeguards included in India's patent law would keep medicine prices too high.

To assist us on this topic we are joined by:

• Claire Waterhouse, advocacy advisor for MSF's Access Campaign in South Africa

• Lotti Rutter, campaign manager for the Treatment Action Campaign