JOHANNESBURG, Tuesday 20th January: The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SECTION27 applaud India’s decision to reject a patent application on sofosbuvir, an important new treatment for Hepatitis C. Last Wednesday’s decision paves the way for increased access to more affordable sofosbuvir in India and other countries who choose to implement legal […]
READ MORE17 October 2014 – Open letter to President Jacob Zuma and Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies This is an open letter from individuals and organisations concerned with the ability of people everywhere to have access to medicines which save lives and enhance quality of life. We are writing in support of the South […]
READ MOREOctober 20th, 2014—PRETORIA: Patients, doctors and members of civil society meet today with government experts to plot a course for quickly reforming South Africa’s patent laws, so that people can access the life-saving medicines they need at affordable prices. The National Summit on Intellectual Property (IP) and Access to Medicines in Pretoria was organised by […]
READ MOREThe South African Constitution guarantees the right to have access to healthcare services, and places a positive obligation upon the state to take measures that progressively realise that right. However, often people don’t have access to the medicines they need in South Africa because lifesaving drugs are priced out of reach, while cheaper generics are […]
READ MOREContext: Patents on medicines block generic competitors from entering the market, and allow patent holders to charge high prices as long as they maintain a sales monopoly. High prices can limit people and governments’ ability to afford the medicines they need. Companies often try to engage in patent “evergreening”—this means that after applying for an […]
READ MOREOn World Hepatitis Day, organisations call on SA government: protect infants with HepB jab at birth & reduce patent barriers to HepB therapies July 28, 2014, JOHANNESBURG—On World Hepatitis Day, 26 organisations and individuals from around the world have called on the South African Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) […]
READ MOREThis statement was originally published on the Knowledge Ecology International website by Thiru Balasubramaniam: On Friday, 23 May 2014, the World Health Assembly is currently discussing access to essential medicines in the context of resolution EB134.R16, tabled China in January 2014. The following statement was delivered by South Africa on behalf of the 47 members of […]
READ MOREFINALISE THE IP POLICY BEFORE ELECTIONS & GIVE US BETTER ACCCESS TO MEDICINES Activists demand rapid completion of intellectual property policy six years in the making; Without internationally recognised public health safeguards policy will be health disaster 2014/03/11, PRETORIA — Marching to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Doctors […]
READ MOREMEDIA INVITE: PHOTO OPPORTUNITY FIX THE PATENT LAWS CAMPAIGN TUESDAY MARCH 11 – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) offices, PRETORIA THURSDAY MARCH 13 – Parliament, CAPE TOWN Health activists to demand completion of South Africa’s Intellectual Property Policy outside DTI offices, Pretoria and Parliament, Cape Town. Over 2,500 health activists across the Western Cape […]
READ MORELotti Rutter from the Treatment Action Campaign responds to PhRMA opinion piece in BDLive on 26th February 2014 This Wednesday’s opinion piece – “Strong IP regime could boost FDI” – might have promised a simple solution for increasing foreign direct investment, but unfortunately the reality is much more complicated. Rather than strong intellectual property (IP) […]
READ MORE