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Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: an interview with Judit Rius, Médecins Sans Frontières
12-Mar-2013 New Medical
The TPP negotiators are making decisions that will affect at least 600 million people, and potentially hundreds of millions more, in complete secrecy, and this is unacceptable.
EU-Thailand FTA negotiations: What fate for access to medicines?
6-Mar-2013
Health Action International Europe, Oxfam and Action against AIDS Germany have serious concerns over the repercussions the EU-Thailand FTA will have on access to medicines in Thailand and the region.
As clock ticks toward Trans-Pacific trade pact deadline, US must end stall tactics on access to medicines
5-Mar-2013 MSF
As closed-door talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement resume in Singapore this week, international medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières calls on the US government to end its stall tactics and revise its proposals for what otherwise promises to be the most harmful trade deal ever for access to medicines in developing countries.
Thai-EU FTA raises alarm for people with AIDS
30-Dec-2012 IPS
Days before leaders of the European Union arrived in Norway to collect this year’s Nobel Peace prize, Thai public health activists sent a letter to the northern powerhouse, warning that the EU’s 2012 accolades face a credibility test in this Southeast Asian country.
Canada prepares for drug patent concessions to clinch free-trade deal with EU
16-Nov-2012 The Hook
As free trade talks with the European Union reach the endgame, Ottawa is signalling it is prepared to give the Europeans at least part of what they asked for on drug patents — a move that could cost Canadians up to $900 million a year.
EU free trade deal will hike drug prices in N.S. — minister
15-Nov-2012
A concession on drug patents in a free trade deal with the European Union stands to cost Nova Scotians millions, Health and Wellness Minister David Wilson said Wednesday.
EU trade policy cannot ignore the Geneva conventions: the European Parliament must reject the ACAA protocol with Israel
22-Oct-2012 AITEC
Civil society statement calling fpr rejection of the Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products protocol attached to the European Union-Israel Association Agreement
US pharma companies could be real beneficiaries of Canada-EU trade deal
27-Sep-2012 iPolitics
Although the EU is asking Canada to change its patent regime, it is not possible to do so just for the EU. The actual beneficiaries would be all of the world’s brand-name companies. Of the world’s top 12 health care companies by revenue only three or four are resident in the EU.
HIV patients urge caution on EU FTA talks
22-Sep-2012
People afflicted with the Aids virus have called on the government to proceed carefully on free-trade negotiations with the European Union, as the latter’s demands for copyright protection could make it difficult for patients to access cheap medicines.
Trade deal to curb generic-drug use
6-Sep-2012 Nature
Some countries whose governments purchase drugs with a set budget are also alarmed by signs that the TPP may grant new negotiating powers to the industry.
Pharma exports: India asks Japan to remove non-tariff barriers
2-Sep-2012
India has asked Japan to remove all non-tax barriers to help the domestic industry take advantage of the comprehensive free-trade agreement and increase share in the Japanese market.
18 Thai civil society groups urge EU Parliament delegation to reconsider TRIPS-plus provisions in EU-Thailand FTA
30-Aug-2012 Infojustice
The letter warns that the TRIPS-Plus provisions in the trade agreement between EU and Thailand – including border measures, data exclusivity, patent term extensions, and protection for new indications – would block access to generic medicines.
The Pacific free trade deal that’s anything but free
27-Aug-2012 The Guardian
Just Foreign Policy is offering a reward, now up to $21,100, to WikiLeaks if it publishes a draft copy of the TPP. People could add to the reward fund, or if in a position to do so, make a copy of the draft agreement available to the world.
Malaysia says no to TPP
7-Aug-2012 The Sun Daily
Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, which is being negotiated among eleven countries including the US and Malaysia, would be detrimental to the local medical industry.
Protesters: Free trade deals, drug patents derail AIDS fight
26-Jul-2012 IPS
As the nineteenth International AIDS Conference continued in Washington Tuesday, thousands of protesters marched on the White House calling for an end to free trade deals that protesters argue make vital AIDS medicines unaffordable.
Access to medicines and intellectual property in Jordan
23-Jul-2012 IP Watch
Delayed market entry of generics due to enhanced intellectual property protection cost Jordanian private consumers approximately 18 million US dollars annually
Mulroney wades into EU free-trade talks, egging on pharma
7-Jun-2012 Canadian Press
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is wading into the high-stakes debate over patent protection in the free trade talks with Europe, and he’s clearly taking sides.
Provinces join forces to keep EU free-trade deal from upping drug costs
5-Jun-2012
The provincial premiers have undertaken a letter-writing campaign to demand compensation from the federal government for any increase in drug costs that might results from a free-trade agreement with Europe.
Canada’s other drug war
4-May-2012
There’s a debate raging over Canada’s intellectual property regime. If one side’s right, Canada stands to pay $2.8 billion more every year in drug costs while it undermines its generic-drug manufacturing sector.
After KORUS FTA, new pressures on the horizon
17-Mar-2012
As the South Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) takes effects Thursday, some are expecting new trade pressures from the US, including moves to open the beef market. In particular, South Korea will be forced to sit down at the negotiating table if the US requests negotiations on beef.