Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Brazil Breaks Patent to Make AIDS Drug

Posted by michael on from the life-before-dollars dept.

Andy Tai writes: "In this CNN story, Brazil decides to break a patent over an AIDS drug for public benefits. Brazil will produce the drug domestically without agreements with patent holder, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche. Brazil's efforts to fight AIDS have been praised internationally, and it successfully prevented the US Government from bringing complaints in the WTO on behalf of the drugs industry. This may set an important example that public needs justify the disregard of patent protection." There's another article in the Boston Globe about the decision.

4 of 1,041 comments (clear)

  1. Link to PDF about what this drug is/does by Shivetya · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.viracept.com/3_DOSING/AGVR.pdf

    Its pretty complex, but tell me why Brazil or anyone else should have to pay at least something for developing this, let alone testing it?

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  2. 2 Billion R&D == 5 Billion profit by slashkitty · · Score: 5, Informative
    Just take a look at their profit statement:


    http://www.roche.com/home/investor/inv-finance/i nv -sales-key-figures-hy-2001.htm


    They are pulling in cash hand over fist. Now, why couldn't they negotiate a lower price w/ Brazil so that wouldn't send half their budget to Roche?

    --
    -- these are only opinions and they might not be mine.
  3. Here you go... by KnightStalker · · Score: 3, Informative

    For Roche themselves, the company mentioned in this article. From part of their 2000 annual report, in a PDF ("Finance") available at: http://www.roche.com/home/investor/inv-finance/inv -reports/inv-reports-2000-annual-report.htm

    Marketing and distribution 8,746 (2000) 7,813 (1999)
    Research and development 3,950 (2000) 3,782 (1999)

    Numbers are in millions of Swiss francs.

    Clear enough?

    --
    * And remember, it's spelled N-e-t-s-c-a-p-e, but it's pronounced "Mozilla."
  4. Re:This is an excellent thing to cheer by tmark · · Score: 3, Informative
    On the contrary, monopolies aren't even *possible* without government intervention. You're thinking of 'oligarchies'.


    Huh ? Monopolies ARE possible without government intervention. They certainly do NOT require government intervention - though this is often needed to BREAK monopolies.