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medicines

The EU-Thailand FTA: What fate for access to medicines?
12-Dec-2013 IP Watch
Following the public outcry over the EU’s demands for stringent intellectual property rules that would dramatically raise medicines prices in India, you would expect the EU to think twice about making similar demands in future trade agreements. Yet, this is precisely what is going on now in the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and Thailand.
EU-US free trade pact cause of concern for Indian pharma firms
11-Dec-2013 Financial Chronicle
There are apprehensions that TTIP would prevent Indian pharma companies to come to market with the same products - they would need to pass through several rounds of additional tests. As a result, prices will move up significantly.
Roadblocks revealed in TPP talks
13-Nov-2013
Leaked details of free trade negotiations between New Zealand and the United States show the two countries are in stark opposition on a number of key areas.
CETA is more about corporate rights than free trade
9-Nov-2013
Since announcing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) two weeks ago Harper’s Conservatives have repeatedly labelled those questioning the deal as “anti-trade”. But this Canada-European Union accord is one part trade and four parts ‘corporate bill of rights’.
Ottawa challenged to release internal estimates of Europe free-trade drug costs
8-Nov-2013
The federal government won’t release internal documents that may predict potential higher drug costs for Canadians under new patent rules agreed to in the free-trade deal with Europe, Trade Minister Ed Fast says.
Canada-EU trade agreement presages IP reform
3-Nov-2013
The far reaching provisions of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union will have considerable impact on Canada’s IP regime.
Patents against people: How drug companies price patients out of survival
2-Oct-2013 Dissent Magazine
The struggle for access to medicine presents a legal and ethical minefield for rich and poor countries alike—one that is being fought out as humanitarians challenge corporations over intellectual property rights.
US puts unwarranted pressure on India for taking legal steps to increase access to affordable medicines
25-Sep-2013 MSF
India is facing an onslaught of political pressure from the U.S. government and pharmaceutical industry in retaliation for the country’s entirely legal actions to limit abusive patenting practices and increase access to affordable generic medicines
Thailand: Uncertainties continue to plague FTA deal with Europe
16-Sep-2013 Bangkok Post
Thai trade representative Olarn Chaiprawat has given civil society groups a confirmation that "TRIPS-plus" and drug issues will not be included in the Thai-EU FTA negotiations.
The deadly cost of secret free trade deals
8-Aug-2013
Once again, our government is negotiating a trade deal in secret — and once again, the chorus of “free market” fundamentalists is assuring us that what’s good for lining corporate pockets must be good for us all.
TPPA: NGOs want medical and tobacco business excluded in free trade talks
20-Jul-2013
Malaysia should exclude medical and tobacco businesses in the ongoing free trade talks under the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
Canada urged to reject TPP drug patent proposal as bad for poor countries
17-Jul-2013
Canada is pushing back against a campaign by activists trying to block what they say are onerous intellectual property rules that would raise the price of pharmaceuticals in poor countries.
Trans-Pacific trade deal threatens access to affordable medicines
3-Jul-2013 MSF
As host to both the AIDS conference and TPP trade talks this month, Malaysia reportedly vows to reject a TPP trade agreement that harms access to medicines; other countries should follow suit, and Malaysia should be held to its pledge
Investment agreements: A new threat to health and TRIPS flexibilities?
30-Jun-2013 South Centre
Bilateral investment treaties (BITs) may be a threat to access to medicines as shown by a recent legal suit by a drug multinational against Canada for invalidating a patent, writes Carlos Correa
A Kiwi-sized "Spanner in the works" of the TPP?
17-Jun-2013 Mondaq
Are the PBS and Pharmac under threat from the TPP? Certainly, the respective governments of both Australia and New Zealand think not. So why then the paranoia? Quite simply, we need the US more than they need us. In order to secure the TPP (and with it, for example, access to the lucrative US dairy market), both Australia and New Zealand will likely need to yield in several key areas.
Live from the TPP: IP chapter shows no sign of resolution, end of negotiation in 2013 highly unlikely
21-May-2013 Infojustice
There is a strong sense in the halls of the current TPP negotiation that the end is not in sight. And one of the primary reasons s a lack of consensus on intellectual property and pharmaceuticals issues, reports Infojustice from Lima.
Investors’ IP rights unbound: The danger of investment clauses to access to medicines
25-Apr-2013 Infojustice
Although access to medicines activists have been wise to focus our attention intently on convincing low- and middle-income countries to adopt and use all possible TRIPS-compliant flexibilities and to oppose the TRIPS-plus IP chapters in free trade agreements, we have neglected to interrogate another chapter in free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties that perhaps pose an even greater threat to our collective access to medicines – investment chapters.
India-EU FTA won’t hit generic drugs industry: EU envoy
13-Apr-2013
The much-hyped bilateral trade and investment agreement (BTIA) between India and the European Union (EU) would not impact the Indian generic drugs industry or lead to a change in the country’s patent law, João Cravinho, EU ambassador to India, said on Friday.
India-EU FTA will imperil lives, local industry, say activists
11-Apr-2013 Firstpost
A large number of people living with HIV, cancer patients and health activists took to the streets of Delhi today asking government of India not to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) as it would be detrimental to the interests of tens of thousands of people like them in the country.
Cambodian people’s statement on the EU-India free trade agreement on generic drugs
10-Apr-2013 Infojustice
We, Cambodian garment workers, sex workers, entertainment workers, people living with HIV, LGBTs, university students, feminists and human right activists from different networks and organisations came together to express our concern about the threat posed by the forthcoming EU-India free trade agreement to the lives of millions of people in Cambodia and many other developing countries across the world.