India left out of 6-nation pact for low-cost AIDS drugs

[Guest guest]

India left out of 6-nation pact for low-cost AIDS drugs

P.T. Jyothi Datta

By not being part of the alliance, India has missed the bus in terms

of solidarity with developing countries.

Mumbai , July 22

A LANDMARK six-nation agreement inked at the recent Bangkok AIDS

conference to facilitate production and better access to low-cost

anti-AIDS drugs seems to have left India sitting out on the bench.

" Thailand, Brazil, China, the Russian Federation, Nigeria and

Ukraine have formed a network to endorse the enforcement of health

and access-related provisions of the Doha Declaration. Generic

versions of these drugs would be made by and for the population of

these six countries, " a representative from an Indian organisation

working on health-issues, told Business Line.

Having participated in the Bangkok conference, the representative

added, India and South Africa are expected to join the alliance

later. " Negotiations on this pact started last September and reports

in Thailand say that different synergies will be at work - since

China is capable of supplying chemicals for the production of

generic drugs and the Russian Federation was equipped with

technology for medical diagnosis, " he added.

" But India should have been at the forefront of such initiatives,

given that our companies like Ranbaxy and Cipla are supplying low-

cost anti-AIDS drugs to global agencies and markets. By not being

part of the alliance, India has missed the bus in terms of

solidarity with developing countries, collective bargaining and

paving the way for Indian drug companies, " the representative said.

For instance, the Clinton Foundation promised to " collectively

bargain for India and China " to get at lower prices, machines that

monitor blood-count.

" A multinational drug company can negotiate with the new alliance to

supply patented drugs or technology and here is where Indian drug

companies lose out. They could have supplied the drugs or helped in

production, " the health representative said.

Confirming the development, Mr D.G. Shah, Secretary General of the

Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), said that the significance of

India being part of the alliance is that it could have played an

influential role in future global trade-related negotiations

regarding drug patents and access to medicines.

" Considering that India put health on the agenda of the Doha

Declaration, we should have been part of the alliance, " said Mr

Shah, who also participated in the Bangkok conference.

Meanwhile, the IPA has sent a letter to the Union Commerce and

Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, on the issue. " The good news is

that China and Russia, which hitherto have been silent on the Doha

Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health are endorsing

the enforcement of major provisions of the Doha Declaration. The bad

news is that the development of alternative sources of supply would

put greater pressure on the Indian pharmaceutical industry, " the

letter said.

A clutch of Indian drug companies had only last year struck a deal

with the Clinton Foundation to supply anti-AIDS drugs at $139 per

year.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/07/23/stories/20040723017504

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