Protest against US Pharma Abbott Laboratories

Bangalore, Apr 26 (UNI) Local NGOs and positive networks under the banner Affordable Medicine Treatment Campaign today joined health activists around the world to denounce the punitive actions taken by US Pharma Company Abbott Laboratories.

Karnataka Network of Positive people (KNP+) and other NGOs who are working among People Living with HIV (PLHA) like Milana, Samraksha and Action Aid launched the protest against Abbott's decision in Thailand alleging that it would in the long run may affect India and the positive people.

Milana Project Coordinator Jyothi Kiran alleged that "Abbott's actions must be condemned by the world. You cannot just bully a country into submission the way that Abbott is. Thailand's actions were legal, it is Abbott who is in the wrong." KNP+ General Secretary Asha Ramaiah said that "the reality was that affordable generic versions of medicines are the only hope we have for life-long treatment. Abbott's greed is not just shocking, it is immoral. People's lives are at stake." In the last few months the Thai government has issued three compulsory licenses on lopinavir+ritonavir (Brand name-Kaletra), Clopidogrel bisulphate (Brand name-Plavix, an anti clotting agent) and Effavirenz (Brand name- Stocrin) for the procurement of affordable generic drugs to protect the health interests of its people. The Thai government's actions are in full compliance with national and international legal provisions, and was a necessary step to ensure access to quality care and treatment for all Thai people living with HIV/AIDS.

In retaliation for the compulsory license on lopinavir+ritonavir, patent holder Abbott Laboratories had withdrawn registration applications in Thailand for seven of its medicines. Effectively this means that Abbott was withholding those medicines from the Thai market. With this retributive act, Abbott had not only punished the Thai government for daring to adopt legal measures to access affordable drugs for its people, but also revealed it's utter disregard for the lives of millions of Thai people desperate for life-saving drugs. Most significantly, Abbott has sent out an unequivocal message to developing countries that it will use all of its might to prevent the entry of generic drugs into developing country markets.

"Big pharmaceutical companies like Abbott are holding countries and patients across Asia to ransom for asserting their right to provide health care to their citizens. This is totally unacceptable.

When production of life saving medicines remains solely in the hands of a single pharmaceutical company, it blocks the generic competition that is needed to bring prices down", alleged Anand Grover, Director of the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit.

Most of the People Living with HIV(whose CD count is less) depend on the life-enhancing ART drugs, the only available treatment for affected. ART, a combination of three drugs, is very costly. Govt of India is providing ART free of cost but a few thousands of people living with HIV who developed resistance and are ready for second line treatment are left in the lurch as it is very costly.

UNI