On Tuesday, August 17, 2010, USTR organized a lunch between ACTA negotiators and civil society NGOs. There was not much notice. We received our invite to the lunch last Thursday. Representatives from KEI, Public Citizen, Oxfam, Public Knowledge and the American University program on intellectual property attended the event.
Beginning in 1985, the United States government (USG) diplomatic and trade officials have engaged in wide ranging activities aimed at changing global norms for the protection of intellectual property rights, with a particular emphasis on the IPR protections for pharmaceutical products.
This note reports on U.S. Department of State cables sent in 1986 and 1987, that discussed the U.S. government efforts to change policies in Brazil on the intellectual property protection for pharmaceutical products. The cables have been obtained by KEI with a FOIA request.
Prices for Abbott’s Norvir (generic name Ritonavir) as a Standalone Product in 2010 KEI Research Note 2010:4 August 12, 2010 Anne Mira Guha Prices for Abbott’s Norvir (generic name Ritonavir) as a Standalone Product in 2010 1. Introduction Ritonavir is… Continue Reading
USTR will host the next round of ACTA negotiations that will take place all of next week, August 16-20, in Washington DC. According to USTR yesterday, the negotiators “expect to cover all issues” and the agenda would be made available in a day or so.
Here is a proposed agenda that we have obtained from another source.
ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADE AGREEMENT (ACTA)
PROPOSED AGENDA
10th Round of Negotiations
August 16th-20th, 2010, Washington, DCACTA’s Washington DC conclave: Is this Round 10?
According to an informed source, USTR intimated that next week’s ACTA meeting in Washington DC will be attended by all the negotiating parties and that discussions would include all issues under consideration in ACTA. We are still awaiting a response from USTR regarding the attendees, scope and purpose of the meeting but this new information seems to be indicative of nothing short of the next ACTA round.
Earlier, US government officials had informed that the an intersessional meeting would be held the week of 16 August in Washington DC.
Continue ReadingWHO releases names of experts and advisor to the Emergency Committee concerning Influenza Pandemic (H1N1) 2009
WHO has released the ‘List of Members of, and Advisor to, the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee concerning Influenza Pandemic (H1N1) 2009‘ at the following site: http://www.who.int/ihr/emerg_comm_members_2009/en/. Of the 15 members and one advisor, 6 had declaration of interests. On this matter, WHO had the following statement:
Sources for Researching Drug Prices
The following are links to web pages with prices of prescription drugs.
Australia
Schedule Pharmaceutical Benefits
http://www.pbs.gov.au/html/home pageAustria
The Common European Drug Database (CEDD)
http://cedd.oep.hu/Bahrain
National Health Regulatory Authority
http://www.nhra.bh/SitePages/View.aspx?PageId=42Belgium
Institut National D’Assurance Maladie-Invalidité Pharmanet
http://www.inami.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/medicament/Pages/statistiques-medicaments-pharmacies-pharmanet.aspx#.WaV_VSeQxQK
Continue ReadingThe US Orphan Drug Tax Credit
From the FDA page on the Orphan Drug Tax Credit. Incentives TAX CREDIT (See Footnote 1 below) FOR TESTING EXPENSES FOR DRUGS FOR RARE DISEASES OR CONDITIONS Introduction Section 45C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 allows a credit… Continue Reading
The US Orphan Drug Tax Credit
From the FDA page on the Orphan Drug Tax Credit.
IncentivesTAX CREDIT
(See Footnote 1 below)
FOR TESTING EXPENSES FOR
DRUGS FOR RARE DISEASES OR CONDITIONSIntroduction
Section 45C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 allows a credit against tax, up to 50 percent of certain clinical testing expenses related to the use of a drug for a rare disease or condition after it is designated as an orphan drug.2010 Fabrazyme March-In Request
NIH rejects Fabrazyme March-In Petition
- December 7, 2010. Press release from Fabry patients: DHHS denies patient’s march-in request to end Genzyme’s rationing of treatment for Fabry Disease citing that FDA rules block manufactures from supplying the drug in a timely manner.
- December 7, 2010. Statements by KEI and others on NIH rejection of Fabrazyme March-In Request