Article originally found on Pharmalot here. By Brook Baker In recent months, two countries with large economies and large populations both took steps to rework their patent laws, in part, to expand access to medicines. The moves come amid increasing concerns that treatments for certain ailments, such as AIDS and cancer, are out of reach for […]
READ MOREOn 17th October, the Working Group on Intellectual Property of the Brazilian Network for the Integration of Peoples (GTPI/REBRIP, acronym in Portuguese), coordinated by the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA, acronym in Portuguese), made a submission of recommendations to the South African Department of Trade and Industry on the Draft National Policy on IP. The […]
READ MOREThis speech was made by former XDR-TB patient Phumeza Tisile, from Khayelitsha, on October 17 in Pretoria at both a press conference and a rally organised by the Fix the Patent Laws campaign. “My experience with TB was rather a very long journey. Firstly, I was late diagnosed. Secondly, I was given the wrong medication for […]
READ MOREBy 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 MOREToday the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and SECTION27 handed in a submission to the Department of Trade and Industry in Pretoria, in response to the draft National Policy on Intellectual Property, 2013. Having worked for many years to limit the negative impact of intellectual property (IP) on public health, most recently […]
READ MOREAs the public consultation on the Department of Trade and Industry’s Draft National Policy on Intellectual Property moves into its final few days there has been a wave of support from organisations, academics and experts across the globe. As it stands over 50 international organisations, […]
READ MOREOn September 4, 2013, the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published the Draft National Policy on Intellectual Property, 2013, for public comment. This draft policy is an important first step toward reforming the country’s patent laws to better ensure access to affordable medicines. Amendments to intellectual property systems may occur at a […]
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 […]
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