Protect the Tamiflu Patents!

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Andreas Ramos <andreas () andreas com>
Date: November 3, 2005 3:05:51 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Protect the Tamiflu Patents!
Reply-To: Andreas Ramos <andreas () andreas com>

Dan Gillmor wrote the following about Tamiflu at his blog http:// 
bayosphere.com/blog/dangillmor

The Wall Street Journal is running a story that begins this way:

"Recent, surprising reports that generic Tamiflu can be made quickly  
and easily may have important implications for the global supply of  
the drug, which is seen as a hedge against a bird-flu pandemic. The  
reports also raise questions about why Roche Holding AG, Tamiflu's  
maker, said it would take years for its rivals to copy the drug."

In other words: To protect its market, Roche has been grossly  
misleading us. If Tamiflu helps reduce the outbreak that is coming,  
it'll save a lot of lives. Roche, resisting generic manufacturing of  
the drug, apparently would rather dissemble than take the risk that  
other nations won't wait for a single company to produce enough --  
something Roche doesn't seem interested in doing itself. Meanwhile,  
the United States government -- which has been unbelievably slow and  
incompetent at even addressing this matter until the last few days  
--  has made absolutely clear what the priority will be: protecting  
profits, not lives. Near the end of the WSJ story:

"The U.S. government has said it will not purchase antivirals that  
aren't licensed for use by the Food and Drug Administration. In a  
speech last week, Michael Leavitt, secretary of HHS, said the U.S.  
"supports intellectual property and will defend the importance of  
patent laws. We're resolved to work through the FDA to accelerate  
those licensing arrangements and hope to see, at some point in time,  
the supply of the drug added," Mr. Leavitt said.

At some point in time? When this pandemic starts, there will not be  
any time to spare.


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