FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOV 22, 2013
Sterling, VA – Recently leaked text from the Intellectual Property Chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) reveals that the United States and other governments are prioritizing multinational corporate profits over the well-being of patients and consumers worldwide, including their own citizens. The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Australian Medical Student Association, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), IFMSA-Quebec, Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC), and Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) have sent a letter to TPP negotiators, urging them to ensure that all TPP provisions protect future patients’ access to evidence-based, effective medicines and procedures rather than forcing medical professionals to compromise their ethics and the quality of care they provide.
On November 13, 2013, WikiLeaks published the full consolidated negotiating text for the Intellectual Property (IP) Chapter of the TPP. These organizations, representing pharmacists, biomedical researchers, and physicians-in-training from TPP member countries, voiced their concerns over the chapter, stating that “the proposed provisions will severely restrict access to affordable medicines, access to knowledge, and access to responsible innovation.”
“During our medical training, we see firsthand the critical impact that access to affordable medicines has on patient outcomes,” says Reshma Ramachandran, AMSA PharmFree Chair. “We have repeatedly raised concerns that the proposed provisions could compromise this access by imposing unprecedented TRIPS-plus IP requirements. The release of this secret text confirms that the U.S. government and other TPP countries have not backed down from these dangerous proposals.”
AMSA, along with its partner organizations, believes these negotiating positions could put millions of lives at risk in TPP countries by granting pharmaceutical companies monopolies that significantly drive up drug costs.
“It is unacceptable that this agreement would make cost a barrier to access and ultimately to better health,” says Dr. Nida Degesys, AMSA National President. “As health professionals, our first responsibility is to our patients. We urge government officials to remember their responsibility as well, not just to corporations but to the citizens, patients, and consumers worldwide who will be directly impacted by these policies.”
This week, TPP negotiators are meeting in Salt Lake City to continue discussions on the Intellectual Property Chapter. The organizational letter calls for the following:
- Removal of dispute resolution provisions that undermine safeguards in the WTO TRIPS Agreement, which allow governments to use flexibilities to protect public health.
- Elimination of provisions that weaken global patent standards, including “evergreening,” which extends market exclusivity through minor modifications of existing drugs.
- Removal of any clause providing data exclusivity for biologics.
- Exemption from patent infringement for diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical procedures, similar to 35 USC 287(c), which protects medical practitioners from lawsuits when the machine, manufacture, or composition of matter itself is not patented.
- Elimination of provisions such as patent term extensions for regulatory or patent prosecution delays, which would hinder the timely entry of generic drugs into the market and restrict access to affordable medicines.
- Removal of patent linkage requirements that force drug regulatory authorities to engage in early patent enforcement, creating barriers to generic drug registration.
Take Action! Even if you are not a negotiator, you can still make a difference. Click here to join Doctors Without Borders in sending letters to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Forman and help spread awareness about the TPP’s harmful provisions by sharing sample Tweets and Facebook posts.
About the American Medical Student Association
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at www.amsa.org.