Is This The Return Of U.S. "Gunboat Diplomacy" Serving Corporations?

Last edited Sat May 14, 2016, 08:06 PM - Edit history (1)

5/14/2016 at 18:10:39
Is This The Return Of U.S. "Gunboat Diplomacy" Serving Corporations?

By Dave Johnson

Colombia is allowing local production of a generic form of a cancer drug that is ultra-expensive because of a government-granted monopoly handed to a giant, multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The U.S. government is stepping in on the corporation's side with a modern form of "gunboat diplomacy" -- even though the giant corporation isn't even "American."

In November 2014, a group of public health advocacy organizations called on the Colombian government to declare that the public interest warrants that the country can produce a generic version of the ultra-expensive cancer drug Gleevec, produced by the "Swiss" giant Novartis. According to a March, 2015 report in Intellectual Property Watch, "Colombia Asked To Declare Excessive Price For Cancer Drug Contrary To Public Interest, Grounds For Compulsory License":

The World Health Organization has declared Gleevec as an "essential drug." A year's supply of Gleevec costs twice the national income per capita. The extraordinarily high monopoly pricing of this drug creates a health emergency in Colombia. The World Trade Organization rules allow countries to do this in the case of health emergencies.

This year the Colombian government agreed to do this, issuing a "compulsory license" enabling local production of a generic form of the drug.

More:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Is-This-The-Return-Of-U-S-by-Dave-Johnson-Corporations_FARC_Funding_Health-160514-236.html