InfoAnda - Europe trade deal could hit Indian generic drugs

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Allen in shooting flurry as Celtics even the score | 7 June 2010
EU 'very worried' on climate negotiations | 25 September 2009
Oscar telecast among least-watched, show panned | | 1 March 2011

China stealth-jet firm eyes US contracts: report | 4 February 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Europe trade deal could hit Indian generic drugs

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Singapore Asia Pacific World Europe trade deal could hit Indian generic drugs By ERIKA KINETZ,AP Business Writer - Tuesday, April 27 Send IM Story Print MUMBAI, India – It took two years of secret suffering and gut-wrenching diarrhea to make Lumkile Sizila face the fact that he had HIV. Fortunately, there was something Sizila, who lives in Cape Town, could do about it. South Africa, home to 5.7 million HIV-positive people _ more than any other country in the world _ gives AIDS patients free drugs, most of which are generics that come from India. "I used to cry," Sizila said in an interview Monday. "Through education I managed to realize that this was not the end of the world. I could live for many years if I took treatment." But he may not be able to count on such low-cost treatment in the future. Critics say a trade agreement now in the works between the European Union and India could make it harder for millions like Sizila across the developing world to get lifesaving drugs. The deal is taking shape as India tries to transform itself from a generics powerhouse into a base for drug discovery _ a trend that could ultimately do more than any trade agreement to curtail its reign as a pharmacy to the poor. Medecins Sans Frontieres and other advocacy groups, along with Indian businesses, say the stricter intellectual property provisions Europe has proposed will hinder the timely production of low-cost generic drugs in India for use across the developing world. "The destiny of millions of poor Indians will be decided by some European free trade agreement," said Amar Lulla, joint managing director of Cipla, one of India's largest generics manufacturers. "If patent rights override patient rights, that's the end of the story. That would be genocide." Since the 1970s, India has become a drug producer for the developing world, revolutionizing the treatment of diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria with low-cost generics. It now makes one-fifth of the world's generics, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Europe maintains that nothing in the agreement would prevent India from continuing to play this role and that it has no desire to force measures on India that it is not ready to espouse. "The EU is fully committed to ensuring that people in the world's poorest countries can access affordable medicines," said John Clancy, the EU's trade spokesman in Brussels. "Nothing in the proposed free trade agreement would limit India's freedom to produce lifesaving medicines for export. The EU Commission has even proposed a legally binding clause in the negotiations to this effect." But such assurances haven't convinced critics. Another round of EU-India negotiations is slated for April 28 in Brussels, with the goal of signing a completed agreement by October. The negotiations have been held in secret. A leaked draft of the negotiating text from February 2009, which the Associated Press has seen, contains controversial measures that would extend patent protection up to five years to compensate for drug-approval delays and introduce the concept of "data exclusivity," which restricts the ability of generics companies to rely on data from brand-name companies, potentially forcing them to do their own costly, time-consuming clinical trials. The most current draft contains similar provisions, according to people familiar with the document who declined to be identified by name because of the confidential nature of the talks. Alexandra Heumber, an advocate at Medecins Sans Frontieres in Brussels, said EU guarantees are meaningless unless the measures are removed. "These provisions would delay competition and provide a longer monopoly to the pharmaceutical industry," she said. Indian businesses worry the agreement will harm domestic generics manufacturers and make medicine more expensive at home. Amit Mitra, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a prominent business lobbying group, said the agreement, as stands, would be unacceptable. "I am confident our government will not accept something that would harm India's ability to produce cheap medicine in the generic domain for which it has become internationally known," he said. Officials from India's Ministry of Commerce & Industry did not reply to requests for comment. But European trade talks are not the only thing chipping away at India's generics industry. The long antipathy between Indian generics companies and multinational pharmaceutical companies is softening, and some analysts say it's only a matter of time before India itself swings to tighter patent rules. India became a generics powerhouse because of a 1972 decision by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi not to recognize patents on drug products. That allowed Indian companies to legally copycat pricey branded drugs as soon as they came to market, provided they manufactured the drugs in a novel way. India ended its copycat generics edge in all but exceptional cases in 2005, when it implemented a World Trade Organization guarantee of 20-year patents on new drugs. "India's view is it's time for us to go up the R&D curve," said Sujay Shetty, associate director for pharma at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He estimates that India's 10 largest drug companies spent $480 million on research and development in 2008, though none has yet brought a novel drug to market and almost all of the sector's $20 billion in annual sales still comes from generics. Indian companies are working more closely than ever with Western pharmaceutical giants, forging research partnerships with companies like GSK, Eli Lilly and Novartis. India has more U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved factories than any other country outside the U.S. "As the Indian economy develops, local innovation will prosper further and will have to be encouraged," said Bino Pathiparampil, pharma analyst at Mumbai's IIFL Capital. Stricter intellectual property provisions are "inevitable at some point in time," he said. In recent years, Europe and the United States have used bilateral free trade agreements to tighten intellectual property rules beyond what is required by the World Trade Organization. Such measures are designed to bolster innovation and investment, but critics say they have done more harm than good, driving up the cost of medicine in poorer countries without generating much new foreign investment or domestic innovation. Oxfam found that Jordan's 2001 free trade deal with the U.S., which called for intellectual property provisions similar to the ones Europe is asking of India, helped drive up the cost of medicine 21 percent. In its 2007 study, Oxfam also found that data exclusivity delayed generic competition for 79 percent of new medicines that hit Jordan's market between 2002 and mid-2006, costing the government and consumers between $6.3 million and $22.0 million. In India the debate over how to balance patents with patients has special importance. Medecins Sans Frontieres says it buys 80 percent of its AIDS medicines from India. Cipla says it provides medicine to one in three AIDS patients in Africa. Whether that will be true when Lumkile Sizila needs to start taking a next-generation AIDS drug remains to be seen. ___ Associated Press Writer Thandisizwe Mgudlwa in Cape Town contributed to this report. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles US-BUSINESS Summary Reuters - 1 hour 1 minute ago RIM shows new operating system, stock rebounds Reuters - 1 hour 1 minute ago ADR Report-ADRs nearly flat; solid earnings offset lower energy Reuters - 1 hour 7 minutes ago Major household product makers poised for growth Reuters - 1 hour 15 minutes ago Boeing "gaining solid momentum": CEO Reuters - 1 hour 17 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Chile desert to host world's biggest telescope Bereaved twin runs for Polish president British envoy to Yemen escapes suicide bombing Bailout plan advances as Greece pledges extra cuts Wall Street overhaul faces key US Senate test More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Aliens may exist but contact would hurt: Hawking Ex-Bin Laden bodyguard writes against Qaeda BP struggles to cap leak as US oil slick spreads French driving veil row escalates Greece warns speculators as it races for bailout More Most Viewed » Aliens may exist but contact would hurt: Hawking Apple engineer loses iPhone prototype Two-million-year-old hominid sheds light on evolution Taiwan's male 'Susan Boyle' a web sensation French driving veil row escalates More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Tuesday, 27 April 2010
US tells Iraq to 'get show on the road' amid vote row
Supreme Court to decide if kids can buy violent video games
British envoy to Yemen escapes suicide bombing
Sudan elects wanted Bashir as president
US newspaper circulation drops 8.74 percent
Iran's Ahmadinejad: U.N. veto power satanic |
Iran's Ahmadinejad: U.N. veto power "satanic"
Sudan elects wanted Bashir as president |
RIM turns Blackberry phones into work line extensions
Study Shows Mortgage Fraud Increased Last Year In U.S.
Wall Street overhaul faces key US Senate test
Five Dutch operators buy into 2.6 GHz band
Caterpillar Swings Q1 Profit, Boosts Outlook
Obama assures Israel's Barak of U.S. commitment |
Japan phone makers team up to develop new platform
UN orders staff in south Afghan city to stay indoors
Boob-Joke-Turned-Political-Statement Inspires Show Of "Support" On Dupont Circle
Genes influence smoking addiction: study
Las Vegas Betting On Old Parking Meters To Help Homeless
Riders Gather For Bike Blessings
Late Polish president's twin brother to seek top job |
World's first taxis with easily swapped batteries hit Tokyo
Batman To Tour In Live Stage Show
Kris Allen To Release "The Truth" With Pat Monahan Of Train
Canada Afghan dispute could trigger early election |
US-TECH Summary
Woody Allen Reveals Film Details
Klausner sues HTC over visual voicemail
Cary Elwes Returns To "Saw" Series For 3D Sequel
Myanmar ministers quit military posts ahead of polls
Joss Stone Designing Limited Edition Footwear For Nine West
Top court to rule on California video game law
UN scales back in dangerous southern Afghanistan
Thai king speaks for 1st time in political crisis
Kyrgyz gov't wants ousted president's extradition
Competition gives TomTom new route to revenue
US asks Nepal's ex-rebels for peaceful protests
Robotic subs race to cap leaking US oil well
Google smartphone coming to stores, no Verizon |
EU hopes to send poll mission to Myanmar
Protesters block police in deepening Thai crisis
Klausner sues HTC over visual voicemail |
Yahoo expands offering on Samsung phones |
Nepal's Maoist leader calls for public protest
Attacks prompt UN warning to 200 Afghan staffers
expands mobile partnership with Samsung
Anne Frank House still stands as a grim reminder
American Airlines delays China service over landing slots
Evangelists claim 'Noah's Ark' discovery on Turkish mountain
Charity slams EU-India trade talks over generic drugs access
Multi-nationals go for 'guanxi' at China's Expo
Justin Bieber concert canceled after crowd crush
Europe trade deal could hit Indian generic drugs
Goody's widower Tweed cleared of rape
Korea's Queen of Cannes Jeon returns as housemaid |
Singapore filmaker to head Locarno filmfest jury
Film examines Colombian soccer's Faustian bargain |
Goody's widower Tweed cleared of rape |
Dr. Oz eases ageing down road to fitness |
Billy Bragg sings about English identity in play |
Montreux festival boss promises strong line up |
Spitzer film recalls glory days, bares enemies |
Putin woos Ukraine with gas deal, nuclear offer
Thai government vows action as red shirts block train |
Ex-Panama dictator Noriega arrives in France |
US Fed expected to hold low interest rates
Chile desert to host world's biggest telescope
Shanghai sets stage for World Expo spectacular |
Afghan tribunal jails Briton for graft: reports
British envoy to Yemen escapes suicide bombing
Wall Street overhaul bill stalls in US Senate
Sanctions squeeze Iranians in trade hub Dubai |
American Hindus Ask Bangladesh To Stop Persecution, Call For Recognition In The US
Police Raid Home Of Gizmodo Editor
India government faces possible confidence vote |
Goldman Sachs CEO Blakfein To Defend Firm In Front Of Finance Panel
Gosselin Kids Cleared For Work On New "Kate Plus 8" Show
Obama 'disappointed' Republicans block finance debate
Karzai's brother pledges support for NATO in Kandahar: FT
Japan PM says finalizing plan to end U.S. base row |
U.S. Markets Finish Mixed As Financials Weigh
Journalist group demands probes into Iraq deaths |
Bereaved twin runs for Polish president
Police seize blogger's computers over iPhone prototype
Bailout plan advances as Greece pledges extra cuts
US envoy heads to Japan for base row talks
Iraq election turmoil as panel invalidates votes
Former rivals eBay, Alibaba tie-up on new platform
S.Korean woman in final push for 14 peaks record
Avatar's James Cameron pushes tech careers to young
Police seize blogger's computers over iPhone prototype |
E-mail faux pas, like ones in Goldman case, common
Protesters disrupt Bangkok elevated trains
Breasts big on Facebook as women take on Iran cleric
Former rivals eBay, Alibaba tie-up on new platform |
E-mail faux pas, like ones in Goldman case, common |
Fears of civil conflict deepen in Thailand
Indonesia rounds up 'beach boys' over gigolo film
Thai govt talks tough, protesters beef up defences
US extradites Noriega to France
Hollywood sign safe as Playboy mogul Hefner weighs in
Supreme Court to decide if kids can buy violent video games
US missionary to face trial in Haiti: attorney
South Asian nations to fight climate change
Google loses Verizon, changes Nexus One plans
Obama hits 2010 campaign trail in US heartland
Activists oppose Indian animal testing lab in Malaysia
Gizmodo editor's home raided in iPhone prototype probe
SKorean on her way to reach Annapurna's summit
Top court to rule on California video game law
Obama renews vow of "new beginning" with Muslims
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Shanghai sets stage for World Expo spectacular
Ex-Panama dictator Noriega extradited to France
Third "Ring" thriller coming out in 3D
"Chipmunks" owners sue Fox, seek half of profits
James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" airborne again
Randy Quaid, wife jailed briefly near L.A
Concert raises $4.8M for China quake relief
Trump says "Amazing Race" doesn't deserve Emmys
Police Raid Home Of Gizmodo Editor
Egypt Arrests Israeli Swimmer
Johannesburg's new buses infuriate taxi drivers ahead of WC
Weezer readies new music, "Pinkerton" reissue
Ian McEwan nominated for UK comic fiction award
Robert Downey Jr. back in superhero mode for Iron Man 2 |
Security tightened for Bieber-mania after crowd hysteria |
Randy Quaid, wife jailed briefly near L.A |
Third Ring thriller coming out in 3D |
Chipmunks owners sue Fox, seek half of profits |
Trump says Amazing Race doesn't deserve Emmys |
Seoul shares edge lower as techs, autos decline
James Patterson's Maximum Ride airborne again |
S.Korea buys $1.5 bln to check won -traders
China's Alibaba teams up with US PayPal
S.Korea won down on warning; intervention spotted
China shops for foreign firms, brands
PAKISTAN
S.Korea economy grows faster than expected in Q1
Chinese web portal Sohu reports Q1 profit fall
S.Korea growth quickens, but loose policy seen staying
SKorea's economy grows 1.8 percent in 1st quarter
Israel commanders reprimanded for West.Bank shootings
Chaos in Ukraine parliament as Russia deal ratified
Protests as Ukraine backs Russian base extension |
BP's soaring profits overshadowed by oil rig tragedy
Nokia unveils new flagship phone model
Sanctions squeeze Iranians in trade hub Dubai
Lib Dems open to Labour coalition after UK election |
WE TV Premiering New Reality Series About Senior Citizens In Retirement Home
Greek transport on strike as austerity anger grows |
Most young Chinese use mobiles to get online: survey
British bank Lloyds returns to profit in first quarter
Palm Beach International Film Festival Announces Award Winners
Italian police arrest top mafia fugitive |
CEO Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme
Ukraine parliament fight, smoke bomb thrown
Iran opposition urges vote anniversary rally: website |
Hugh Hefner Saves Hollywood Sign, Donates Final $900,000 Fund
Iraq delays ruling on election candidate ban |
Russia and Norway strike Arctic sea border deal |
Ford Sees Boost In 1Q Profits
Flaherty Heads For Showdown With Canadian Banks Selling Insurance On Their Websites
UK police blamed for 1979 protest killing |
Nokia unveils new flagship phone model
Scientists Say They Have Learned To Stop Pain At Its Source
Study Suggest Brown Rice Could Protect Against High Blood Pressure
Obama Takes Senate Vote In Stride; To Tour Iowa, Missouri, Illinois
Most young Chinese use mobiles to get online: survey
Panel to seek solutions to U.S. budget woes
US senators to grill Goldman execs on meltdown role
Strike against inflation disrupts life in India
Hong Kong gov't won't beef up political reforms
Indian diplomat charged with spying for Pakistan
Karzai's brother says UN should not leave south
Nokia unveils new flagship phone |
Video search Blinkx launches ad service based on viewers' habits |
S.Korean first woman to scale world highest peaks
China to close border with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
Pakistani stocks, rupee flat; o/n rates end lower
China wants telecom companies to inform on clients
Robert Downey Jr. returns to superhero mode for "Iron Man 2"
Softbank net profit surges on robust iPhone sales
Pakistan: US missiles kill 4 insurgents
Top court to rule on California video game law |
Sharp returns to black, sees TV sales growing
WRAPUP 1-Moody's lifts S.Korea rating to pre Asia crisis level
Mitsubishi returns to profit, announces Peugeot tie-up
Japan minister says Toyota has learned its lesson
EU trade envoy tells China to let yuan rise
China wants telecom companies to inform on clients
Taiwan chipmaker TSMC says profit up 3 percent
Sharp returns to black after big cost cuts
Amy Winehouse in hospital after fall |
Security tightened in New Zealand for Bieber-mania |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01