ACTION of the week: Access to HIV treatment in South Korea
Written by Jonny Currie, about 1 month ago | Permalink
Action against Roche
Fuzeon, a third line therapy for HIV-positive people for whom other drugs have failed is an essential drug to keep many people alive. Korea Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs listed Fuzeon on the price of $18,000 a year in 2004.
However the Swiss drug giant Roche claimed $ 22,000 and has withheld the supply of this life saving drug in South Korea. A marketing director of Roche Korea said in the news interview that Roche has not supplied Fuzeon to developing countries including South Korea because they have no ability to pay for the drug. That is to say, Fuzeon will not be supplied for the countries that do not have enough money to pay for. In the meeting, Mr. Urs said 'we do not business for saving lives, but for making money. Saving lives is none of our business'.
Roche argues that the demand for $22,000 is not excessive because South Korea has a National Healthcare Insurance System and is classified into high-income country by World Bank. However, it should be noted that the national healthcare system is currently under threat from multinational drug companies. Aggressive drug pricing policy by pharmaceutical companies is threatening not only developing countries but developed countries.
Korea-U.S. FTA makes it very difficult to issue 'compulsory licensing' which enables people to control drugs and undermines people's access to medicine by introducing various measures to strengthen patent and intellectual property protections on medicine.
Every patient has a right to access the most suitable and affordable medicine for their health and well-being.
To join in on this action go to http://uploads.medsin.org/mail.php and fill in your name, e-mail address and the subject line to your choice. The e-mail will automatically be forwarded to Roche's customer services department in the UK.
Load up their inboxes and demand fairer drugs pricing for all!
