Pressure groups on Tuesday demanded that the WTO simplify the rules under which governments can import and producers export generic copies of drugs under patent, to tackle fears of a flu pandemic.
The groups, including Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), argue that easing the rules would encourage more producers to manufacture generic drugs under so-called compulsory licensing. Urgently needed drugs would become more widely available should the bird-flu virus change so that it can pass easily between humans.
The campaigners cite Tamiflu, which is produced by Switzerland's Roche Holding AG and is considered the only drug likely to be effective in an outbreak of the bird flu disease in humans. Governments have been scrambling to stockpile the drug in case of a pandemic.
"Tamiflu illustrates the danger of patent monopolies -- you have a shortage of a drug and don't have an easy remedy for a disease. This is exactly the situation when countries would have to use compulsory licenses for import and export," said Ellen 't Hoen, who directs the campaign for access to essential medicines at MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders.
She said WTO rules were "not sufficient and robust enough to deal with public health crises."
Under WTO rules, countries can issue compulsory licenses to disregard patent rights but only after negotiating with the patent owners and paying them adequate compensation. If they declare a public health emergency, governments can skip the negotiating.
Initially the production of such generic drugs was strictly limited to domestic use. But in a decision in August 2003, the WTO for the first time allowed generic drugs under compulsory licenses to be exported, albeit under very strict conditions.
Although the decision was a response to poor countries' growing need for cheap generic drugs to tackle epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, critics now say that the complicated procedure to export such drugs has put off generic manufacturers.
"The rich countries congratulate themselves ... but in reality it does not bear fruit. In reality it removes the economic incentive for generic production," 't Hoen said.
Another issue is that many rich countries, including the US and the EU, opted out of the 2003 decision, meaning they would be unable to import generic drugs made under compulsory license even if they wanted to build up stocks against a disease outbreak, such as a flu pandemic.
Consumers International demands that countries that opted out be allowed to opt back in.
India has already said that it would consider using compulsory licensing to allow its drugmakers to copy Tamiflu.
Indian drugmaker Cipla Ltd -- which says it has developed a generic version of Tamiflu -- has applied to Roche for permission to copy the flu drug, but has pushed the Indian government to invoke compulsory licensing anyway.
A Taiwanese official said the country had no plans to begin manufacture of the Tamiflu because it has not yet received permission from Roche, even though many Taiwanese scientists are reportedly already able to produce Tamiflu copies in the laboratory.
Roche says it is considering a number of requests to make licensed versions, but did not elaborate.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique