The Hindu Business Line : Médecins Sans Frontières writes to Kalam on patents

MÉDECINS Sans Frontières (MSF), an international humanitarian organisation, has written to the President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, asking for his support to ensure that patients in developing countries continue to have access to affordable medicines.

MSF is globally respected for its relief work and medical assistance to about 80 countries. And the organisation's letter comes against the backdrop of the patents regime that has come into effect in India from January this year. The Patents Ordinance is slated to be taken up in the current Budget session of Parliament. The concern from humanitarian organisations is because the patent regime closes the tap on generic or chemically similar drugs.

"India is the major manufacturer and supplier of affordable generic medicines. We strongly urge you to ensure that India's compliance with the WTO (World Trade Organisation) agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights will ensure maximum flexibility in the Indian patent law and policies for the benefit of patients - in India and globally," the letter said.

MSF points out: "Of the 7,00,000 people who currently receive anti-retroviral (anti-AIDS) treatment in the developing world, 50 per cent receive Indian generic medicines."

Further, endorsing Indian generic medicines, MSF adds, "Today, MSF treats 25,000 people with anti-retrovirals in 27 countries around the world, and 70 per cent of our patients use medicines that originate in India. The availability of fixed-dose combination therapy (or three-in-one pills) has revolutionised AIDS treatment, a fact we have witnessed first hand in our own programmes. Providing this user-friendly form of treatment has only been possible because there are no patent constraints in India on putting these medicines together in one tablet."

MSF has examined the proposed amendments to the Patents Act of 1970, the note said and added, "We believe they will drastically restrict, perhaps even prevent, the production and supply of this vital therapy by Indian pharmaceutical companies to other developing countries."

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