Bush accused of pressuring countries to stop producing generic drugs
BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7459.192 (Published 22 July 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:192
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The current financial reports of the three largest U.S. drug
companies overwhelmingly show that the drug companies spend(t) more on
advertising than they did on developmnet. I would gather that the real
interest in keeping U.S. drug prices high is to pay for their advertising
budgets -- right under shareholder profits.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
When the US took South Africa to court to stop their government
buying cheaper generic aids drugs from Asia instead of the more expensive
American supplied drugs they fortunatly lost.
Isn't it interesting that when the US thought that it was under
attack from the anthrax letters a few years ago and realised that it
didn't have enough stockpiled supplies of antidote it desperately sought a
generic supply from any where in the world that would supply it!!
S B Norris
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HIV-It could bite back !
The issue of rising drug prices and consequently of medical care is
of major concern to the electorate of developed nations. Hence, the breast
beating goes on at the present time in the US it being an election year.
What the US electorate in general does not know and probably does not
concern itself with is the efects US policy would have in people living in
other countries.
Though the rights of the pharmaceutical industry should be protected
, a mechanism should evolve wherein diseases of transnational importance
are dealt with taking into effect the low spending power of developing
nations.
In this interconnected world, a rising HIV or any other health problem in
a developing nation could find its way back to its own home soil.
Isn't it time that policy makers within the US understand that the
investment in a developing nations HIV problem today could ensure a
smaller transmission risk to itself in future.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests