House Democrats blast US Trade Rep for pressuring Colombia over Novartis patent
Source: Statnews
House Democrats blast US Trade Rep for pressuring Colombia over Novartis patent
By Ed Silverman @Pharmalot
May 25, 2016
A group of 15 House Democrats wants United States Trade Representative Michael Froman to explain why his office appeared to pressure Colombia not to sidestep a patent on a Novartis cancer drug. The move is the latest twist in the escalating battle between the global pharmaceutical industry and some governments over intellectual property rights and access to affordable medicines.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Froman, the lawmakers expressed “serious concern” that his staff “may have discouraged” Colombian officials from issuing a compulsory license for the Gleevec medicine. In response to concerns about public health, a country can issue a license so that a generic company can make a brand-name medicine without the consent of the company holding a patent.
The right to issue these licenses was memorialized in a World Trade Agreement, and less than a month ago, Colombia Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria decided to pursue such a license. His move came after a four-year battle in which Novartis had refused to negotiate a lower price and won an exclusive patent on one of two forms of the drug, precluding competition.
But after Gaviria signaled he would issue a license, staffers from the US Trade Rep and the US Senate Finance Committee earlier this month met with Colombian embassy officials in Washington DC. They told Colombian officials the US government would rethink its $450 million in funding for a peace initiative and a trade treaty, according to letters embassy officials sent to Colombian ministers.
Read more: https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2016/05/25/novartis-gleevec-patents-cancer/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Cause there is nothing more american than overcharging for medicine to the point where your in the poor house. 
