15 US Congressmen support Colombia in its fight with drug giant Novartis
15 US Congressmen support Colombia in its fight with drug giant Novartis
written by Jack Norman May 26, 2016
A group of fifteen US Congressmen has joined Colombia’s side in a challenge to the prices charged by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis for an expensive cancer drug.
The fifteen elected officials sent a letter to US Trade Representative Michael Froman “to express our serious concern” about reports that Froman’s office tried to pressure Colombian officials to back down from its challenge to Novartis.
In late April, the Colombian Ministry of Health said that if Novartis wouldn’t lower its price on the drug Glivec (also sold as Gleevec and imatinib), the government would allow generic versions of the drug to be sold even while Novartis owns the patent.
The fifteen Congressmen said they agree with the Colombian government’s position that Colombia has the right to do that under a variety of international trade agreements.
These agreements allow countries to deal with public health crises on a case-by-case basis by issuing so-called “compulsory licenses.” These licenses allow generic drug manufacturers to compete with the patented version of the drug.
Glivec now costs about $15,000 annually and is used by about 2,000 Colombians. The drug is Novartis’ biggest-selling drug worldwide, generating $4.7 billion in sales, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Colombia has never before used this power to sidestep patents. But Novartis and its allies, including members of the US Congress who receive large amounts of campaign donations from drug companies, fear this step could help launch widespread international opposition to drug pricing.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/15-us-congressmen-support-colombia-fight-drug-giant-novartis/
