By Marcus Low, Treatment Action Campaign Thousands of people in South Africa have drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Many of them will die slow, horrible deaths. Many of those who live will struggle with severe side effects during the up to two years of daily pills and injections. Some, like 23-year old Phumeza who spoke at our […]
READ MOREHealth activists hand-over comments on Draft Policy to Dept. of Trade & Industry, supporting patent law reform PRETORIA, 17 October – Marching in support of government-proposed patent law reforms, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), and SECTION27 today handed their submission commenting on the Draft National Policy on Intellectual Property, 2013 to […]
READ MOREOver 130 organisations and experts globally have called on the South African Department of Trade and Industry to Fix the Patent Law in an open letter delivered this morning. You can find a PDF of the open letter here. The Fix the Patent Law campaign thanks all signatories for their support for improving access to […]
READ MOREAs the Fix the Patent Laws campaign gains traction and South Africa moves closer towards the kind of intellectual property reform that will vastly improve access to affordable medicines, a number of claims are being publicised by the pharmaceutical industry and their allies seeking to protect their business interests. The purpose of this myth-buster is […]
READ MORESouth African delegation to Brazil get vital opportunity to learn from counterparts as South Africa patent reform process gathers pace October 9th 2013: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) congratulate the Brazilian government on taking bold steps to […]
READ MOREBy Professor Yousuf Vawda, School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal Those opposed to the introduction of substantive patent examination in South Africa (and increased IP protection over medicines and other innovations) base their arguments on flawed assumptions: 1. ‘It is highly unlikely that patent applications which have been granted in developed countries would be refused […]
READ MOREHealth groups call for wide public consultation Johannesburg, 9 September – The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SECTION27 welcome the announcement that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has called for public comment on the long-overdue draft National Policy on Intellectual Property (IP). The DTI has taken heed of calls […]
READ MOREThe Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) welcomes the approval by the US Food and Drug Administration of the antiretroviral medicine dolutegravir. This is a new integrase inhibitor (brand name Tivicay) that could potentially become a vital drug in the global struggle against HIV. TAC calls on all parties involved to ensure widespread availability of Dolutegravir in […]
READ MOREThis is a memorandum dated 7th August delivered to representatives from the Department for Trade and Industry, including Minister Rob Davies, ahead of a workshop in coordination with the WTO, WHO, WIPO calling on the DTI to urgently “Fix the Patent Laws” to improve South Africans’ access to medicines. You can access the original memorandum here. The […]
READ MOREThis is an open letter dated 23rd July from the Treatment Action Campaign sent to USTR Ambassador Michael Froman outlining our concerns with mounting US pressure aiming to restrict India’s generic medicines industry. You can find the original letter here. Dear Ambassador Froman, The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) of South Africa is extremely concerned […]
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