Patents and ethics in the pharmaceutical industry Summary
This paper examines the impact of stringent patent in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on the commercial aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS). It examines the historical and political context to better understand how strict patent affecting the availability of essential drugs in developing countries.
Research shows that the pharmaceutical industry profit priority over health. Strict patent reduce the availability and accessibility of new essential drugs in developing countries, and thus have a negative impact on the health of the poor in the world. Large pharmaceutical companies benefit more than smaller companies because they have a monopoly in the industry. They invest more in research and development, linked to economies of scale, are best placed to exploit markets for new drugs.
The example of India demonstrates the importance of the production of generic and essential drugs in developing countries. It shows that while travel promotes economic growth in the industry and encourages investment in research and development of new drugs, it increases the prices of new essential drugs, thus isolating the benefits of the majority of poor people in developing countries.
The paper suggests that the historical and current trade policy, developed countries have a moral obligation to enable the poorest countries to develop infrastructure for its pharmaceutical industry, the responsibility is not fulfilled. He suggested that TRIPS be revised in a more ethical. This includes increasing public funding of research and development, reduce the duration of patents and allow developing countries to produce essential drugs generically.
The paper highlights the interdependence of social, economic and political might increase the availability of essential drugs in developing countries. He stressed the importance of better understanding the issues surrounding patents strict, and why the scientific community is essential to this process in terms of awareness and work with independent organizations and concerned citizens to run pressure on governments for change at national and international.
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 What are the laws on patents?
1.2 What is TRIPS?
1.3 Orientation and structure of the book
2. Pharmaceutical industry to profit or to improve health?
2.1 Scale of benefits
Investment 2.2 Priorities
2.3 Dissemination
3. Essential medicines and generic production
4. Impacts of the TRIPS
4.1 Key benefits
4.2 Key disadvantages
4.3 The Doha agreement and compulsory licensing
5. Conclusions
6. References
1. INTRODUCTION
"Like the ancient scourge of polio has been canceled by its vaccine 50 years ago, Jonas Salk, inventor of the vaccine against polio was asked why he never took a patent on the drug, a patent which would have him wildly rich. "There is no patent," he said ... " Could you patent the sun? "(Salon.com Magazine 2001).
This article explores the impact of pharmaceutical patents on the availability of drugs in the Third World, focusing on the impacts of trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS). It highlights the value of essential drugs and generic production in developing countries, using India as a case study. It also explores alternatives to the TRIPS and the role of the scientific community.
1.1 What are the laws on patents?
A patent can be defined as "a monopoly right granted to a person who has invented a new and useful article, an improv.
Posted on February 13, 2010.
