With recent amendments to its patent laws, China becomes the latest in a string of countries to promote access to medicines through an enhanced compulsory licensing (CL) framework. South Africa must move to develop more effective CL laws of its own. CL is when a government allows someone to produce a patented product or process […]
READ MOREA public lecture by Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Researcher for the Treatment Action Campaign and Mara Kardas-Nelson, Access and Innovation Officer for Médecins Sans Frontières When: 14 June 2012, 18:00 for 18:30 Where: Barnard Fuller, Conference Room 4, University of Cape Town On Thursday, 14 June 2012 the Peoples Health Movement, the Treatment Action […]
READ MOREThis month, Argentina joined the ranks of countries making it harder to get a patent for ‘inventions’ which offer little to no real improvement over existing drugs. The detailed guidelines, issued jointly by Argentina’s patents office and health department, can be found here.[1] The guidelines instruct patent examiners to reject (with some exceptions) new use, […]
READ MOREThis week (21-25 May 2012) the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva will discuss a proposal that was made by the South African delegation on behalf of the Africa Group and the Development Agenda Group. This submission essentially asks WIPO to assist developing countries to […]
READ MOREYesterday, during the hearing on the Docetaxel patent infringement case, TAC members demonstrated outside of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The hearing has now concluded and we are awaiting a judgement from the court. Once a judgement is received, we will circulate it widely.
READ MOREYesterday, while the Supreme Court of Appeal heard the arguments between Aventis, Cipla and TAC regarding whether to grant an interim interdict to prevent Cipla from producing generic docetaxel, an interesting debate on South Africa’s use of the TRIPS flexibilities was published on Druginfo Digest. The debate was ignited by the case and Anso’s article […]
READ MOREYesterday the Mail&Guardian published an article on the Docetaxel case. “The TAC and Section 27 have joined the fray in a face-off between Aventis Pharma and Cipla Life Sciences in a patent war over cancer drug Docetaxel.” The full article can be found here
READ MOREThis article by Anso Thom was published on 14.05.2012. The original can be found at http://health-e.org.za/news/article.php?uid=20033533 OPINION: Lifesaving drugs under disputed patents couldbecome more easily available in future depending on the outcome of a case before the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
READ MOREOn 15 May 2012, the Supreme Court of Appeal will hear arguments in the case of Aventis Pharma SA and Others v Cipla Life Sciences and Others in the patent dispute over the cancer medicine Docetaxel (brand name Taxotere). The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has been admitted to the proceedings as amicus curiae (friend of […]
READ MORETAC has been admitted as Amicus Curiae in the docetaxel patent challenge between Cipla and Aventis. The case will be heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, Free State on 15 May 2012. Today SECTION27 filed the Heads of Argument on behalf of TAC which can be accessed here
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