FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2015
Media Contact: Deborah V. Hall, MD, American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
Phone: 703-620-6600
E-mail: [email protected]
Medical Students, Health Advocates Condemn Trans-Pacific Trade Deal as a Threat to Affordable Medicines and a Corporate Giveaway to Drug Companies at Pfizer Headquarters Protest
Obama and Pfizer CEO Seize Medicines, Tie Doctors’ Hands in Street Theater Demonstration
November 13, 2015 – 12:15 PM Pfizer Headquarters, 235 E 42nd St, Manhattan (between 2nd and 3rd Aves.)
New York, NY – Physicians and medical students from the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) will join activists from Health Global Access Project and TradeJustice New York Metro on Friday, November 13, for a press conference and demonstration outside Pfizer’s world headquarters, highlighting the dangerous implications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on global health and drug affordability.
Protesters will send a clear message – the TPP is a disaster for patients in the U.S. and worldwide, leaving physicians powerless against Big Pharma’s stranglehold on drug pricing and access to essential medicines. The demonstration will feature street theater, depicting President Obama and Pfizer CEO Ian Read snatching medications from doctors’ hands and binding them with the TPP’s restrictive policies.
Following years of closed-door negotiations, which granted privileged access to government trade officials and corporate representatives while excluding public health advocates, the TPP text was finally released last week. On the same day, President Obama notified Congress of his intent to sign the agreement, setting the stage for a “Fast Track” vote, limiting legislative debate and preventing amendments.
As feared, the agreement prioritizes corporate interests over public health, restricting access to medicines both domestically and abroad, with potentially life-threatening consequences. The TPP contains provisions that:
Enable pharmaceutical giants to extend patent monopolies (“evergreening”), delaying the availability of affordable generic medications.
Open the door for industry challenges to U.S. Medicare and Medicaid formularies, threatening public health programs.
Extend exclusivity periods for biologic drugs used in cancer treatments, further delaying access to life-saving therapies.
“This agreement was crafted with direct input from the pharmaceutical industry, while health advocates and civil society were completely shut out—and the final text reflects that imbalance,” said AMSA President Deborah Hall. “A trade deal that restricts access to critical medicines and undermines public health protections is neither free nor fair. We will not stand by silently—we will fight this at every turn.”
This event marks the official kickoff of AMSA’s Fall Conference, a full day of programming dedicated to social justice and medicine, held at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Friday’s protest is part of a broader mobilization organized by groups partnering with “Flush the TPP.”
About the American Medical Student Association
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is the largest and oldest independent organization of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit association dedicated to representing the interests of medical students and advocating for health equity.
For more information on AMSA’s initiatives, strategic priorities, or membership, visit www.amsa.org.###