Agência Aids 23.07.07

IAS 2007: ATIVISTAS FAZEM MANIFESTAÇÃO PEDINDO A ABBOTT O FIM DO BLOQUEIO DO ANTI-RETROVIRAL ALUVIA NA TAILÂNDIA

23/7/2007 – 7h15

Representantes de várias organizações não governamentais pediram a Abbott que desista da decisão de não registrar e não comercializar o Aluvia, versão termoestável do Kaletra, na Tailândia. O protesto aconteceu no início do simpósio promovido pela Abbott no final da tarde desta segunda-feira, 23, realizado durante a IAS 2007. A manifestação foi decidida após reunião realizada pela manhã entre a empresa farmacêutica e os ativistas, onde a Abbott suspendeu o processo que movia contra a organização francesa “Act Up-Paris”, mas não voltou atrás no boicote a Tailândia. Para poderem se manifestar, os ativistas tiveram que negociar com os dirigentes da Sociedade Internacional de Aids, que têm regras bastante rígidas em relação a este tipo de atividade, e poderia até banir os envolvidos definitivamente de todos os eventos realizados pela instituição. Enquanto os manifestantes seguravam cartazes pedindo o fim do bloqueio, a ativista Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul, da Rede Tailandesa de Pessoas Vivendo com o HIV/Aids (TNP+) leu uma declaração falando da necessidade dos soropositivos do seu país de terem acesso ao medicamento.

No início deste ano, o governo tailandês emitiu a licença compulsória do Kaletra, produzido pelo laboratório norte-americano. A medida, considerada legal pelas regras da Organização Mundial do Comércio, teve o apoio dos governos da França e do Reino Unido, assim como do Parlamento Europeu. Mesmo assim, em março de 2007, a Abbott anunciou a sua decisão de retaliar a Tailândia ao retirar as solicitações de registro pendentes de medicamentos no país, incluindo o Aluvia, que não precisa ser mantido em ambiente refrigerado, facilitando a adesão dos pacientes tailandeses.

Desde então, a comunidade mundial de Aids vem pressionando o laboratório para que volte atrás em sua decisão que pode prejudicar milhares de portadores do HIV/Aids. Os ativistas de Aids e organizações médicas presentes a IAS 2007 apelam para os participantes do evento que demonstrem solidariedade à Tailândia aproveitando todas as oportunidades durante a conferência para desafiar publicamente a Abbott a revogar o bloqueio. Os ativistas elaboraram uma petição pedindo o fim do bloqueio que pode ser assinada no endereço eletrônico http://www.petitiononline.com/bcottabb/petition.html.

Etiquetas: Abbott, Thailand

Para subscrever a carta: petition.abbott@gmail.com

ABBOTT: STOP THE INTIMIDATION! WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

Global AIDS community expresses solidarity with Thailand and ACT UP-Paris; Abbott urged to immediately drop the charges against the AIDS organization

On May 23rd Abbott Laboratories, manufacturers of the anti-retroviral drugs Norvir and Kaletra, became the first pharmaceutical company to intentionally attempt to cause the demise of an HIV/AIDS community group by filing a lawsuit in French criminal court against ACT UP-Paris. Abbott claims ACT UP-Paris’ April website “zap” shut down its server for a few hours prior to its annual shareholders meeting.

French law forbids the limiting of access to a website, unless a defendant has a “legitimate motive”. Holding Abbott accountable for unethical business conduct and highlighting Abbott’s denial of essential medicines can surely be interpreted as a legitimate and honorable motive.

A Paris judge has scheduled an Oct. 26 hearing in criminal court. If ACT UP Paris loses the criminal case, French law proscribes a maximum fine of €75,000, or $100,000 and/or the disbanding of the AIDS organization. Either option will result in the closure of ACT UP-Paris.

HIV patients, doctors and their organizations have scorned Abbott for many years as a result of excessive prices charged for its HIV drugs and for the 400% price increase of its monopoly boosting drug, Norvir, in the United States. The company is now divesting from HIV research and remains only interested in maximizing returns from its existing HIV products.

In recent months, the company has been embroiled in a standoff over access to its drug Kaletra in Thailand. ACT UP-Paris was among the many AIDS activist groups globally that joined an International Day of Action on April 26, 2007, to protest against the company’s withdrawal of applications for new life-saving drugs in Thailand.

Earlier this year, Thailand stated that it could not afford Abbott’s price for Kaletra. The Thai government announced that it planned to use compulsory license provisions, pursuant to international trade law, that allows countries to procure cheaper generic versions of a patented drug in health emergencies. By utilizing compulsory license provisions, the Thai government would save millions of dollars that could be used for life-saving medications for its citizens.

Abbott countered by announcing that it would not register any newly developed drugs in Thailand, depriving that country of the new form of Kaletra that, in contrast to the current form, does not require refrigeration, an obvious issue in tropical Thailand. Despite the fact that the compulsory licenses for Kaletra were legally issued by the Thai government in accordance with WTO TRIPS provisions, Abbott announced that it would refuse access of its new heat-stable version of Kaletra to the 220.000 HIV patients in Thailand.

The World Health Organization, doctors and community organizations globally have called upon Abbott to reexamine its position. The French and British governments publicly supported the Thai government’s right to issue the compulsory drug licenses. People living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand have pleaded with Abbott to reverse its decision and called upon the international community to show solidarity with their cause. ACT UP-Paris responded to their call with the alleged criminal “action”.

Phone and fax zaps or sit-ins, which have disrupted corporate communication for short periods of time, or blocked employee work access, are not new to AIDS activism. These tactics have been used by many other activists throughout the many years of the long epidemic to draw attention to government or corporate acts and omissions.

Such community “actions” in the past have been responded to by government and industry by initiating direct meetings to discuss options and solutions to very real problems and concerns. This has lead to regularly meeting with the community, who represent, and in many instances who are the actual consumers of the products generated by industry and government. This process has led to practices that are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders – expedited and ethical drug development and research, resulting in greater profits for industry and the dramatic extension of life and quality of life of people with HIV/AIDS.

We believe Abbott’s aggressive legal moves are disproportionate and misguided. We call on Abbott to immediately withdraw its lawsuit, to meet with ACT UP-Paris and agree to change its current hostile policies and practices. If Abbott continues to bully ACT UP-Paris and patients internationally, AIDS organizations will have no choice but to continue to engage in such “actions” and to inform all stakeholders of the unethical practices implemented by Abbott Laboratories.

The undersigned organizations stand firm in their solidarity with the Thai HIV community and ACT UP-Paris. We welcome this opportunity to debate Abbott’s shameful policies in Thailand and elsewhere. Regardless of Abbott’s decision on the case against ACT UP-Paris, we will not be intimidated and we will continue to do everything in our power to convince the company to reverse its unprecedented decisions to stifle freedom of speech and deprive the Thai people of life-saving medications.

Actions Traitements, France

African HIV Policy Network, UK

AIDES, France

AIDS ACCESS Foundation, Thailand

AIDS Action Baltimore, USA

AIDS Cell Ibn Sina Academy, India

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, USA

AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC), USA

American Medical Student Association (AMSA), USA

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Aids & Haft, Germany

Arcigay Il Cassero, Italy

Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+)

Body Positive, New Zealand

Body Positive Waikato, New Zealand

Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC), Canada

CNCD -11.11.11, Belgium

Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), USA

Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+), India

END AIDS NOW!, USA, Great Britain, Denmark, France

European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Belgium

European Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (ENP+), The Netherlands

Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research (FIAR), USA

Georgian Plus Group, Georgia

Global AIDS Alliance, USA

Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+), The Netherlands

GRAIN, Spain

Grupo de Trabajo sobre Tratamientos del VIH (gTt), Spain

Grupo Português de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA (GAT), Portugal

Health GAP (Global Access Project), USA

HIV Scotland, UK

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), Hungary

International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW)

International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC)

Israel AIDS Task Force, Israel

Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro l'Aids (LILA), Italy

Japanese Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (JaNP+), Japan

Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+), Malaysia

Network of Zimbabwean Positive Women (NZPW+), Zimbabwe

New York Buyers' Club (NYBC), USA

Passerelle SIDA, Burkina Faso

PITA Foundation, Indonesia

Positive-Generation, Cameroun

Project Inform, USA

Russian Harm Reduction Network, Russia

SERES, Portugal

SIDACTION, France

Syndicat National des Entreprises Gaies (SNEG), France

Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+), Thailand

The Centre, Zimbabwe

TRT-5, France

UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS (UKC), UK

Virtus, Ukraine

Etiquetas: Abbott, Act Up, Thailand

Pantin, France, July 1st, 2007

People Living with HIV: Let's change the rules imposed by the pharmaceutical industry!

AIDES calls upon all People living with HIV who can to ask their doctor to prescribe them treatments that are not those produced by Abbott, if their health condition allows it. AIDES also call upon medical practitioners to prescribe treatments that are not those produced by Abbott, to stop participating to conferences organised by Abbott, and to no longer accept visits from Abbott representatives.

This assertive call was just made by AIDES General Director Vincent Pelletier in his opening speech at the AIDS Impact international conference on human, economic and social sciences in relation to HIV, in Marseille, France.

This call is aimed against the decision taken by the company Abbott to no longer market its new medicines in Thailande, including the pill version of Kaletra, a second-line antiretroviral treatment. This decision by Abbott followed the announcement by the government of Thailand that it would issue mandatory licenses, including for treatments that are now part of Abbott monopoly. Mandatory licenses allow governments to produce or to import generic copies of medicines that are of equivalent quality but less expensive. The World Trade Organisation authorizes this procedure.

Thailand plans to grant a compulsory license notably for Kaletra in order to be able to provide this treatment that is vital for People living with HIV who need to change their treatment regimen after their HIV virus has become resistant. A compulsory licence would thus enable Thailand to import generic versions of this medicine for a cost lower than that of the brand name Abbott version of the treatment.

Abbott has therefore knowledgeably decided to deprive People living with HIV in Thailand from an essential treatment. Beyond Thailand, developing countries worldwide are also directly feeling threatened by this despicable revengeful measure.

In addition to this blackmail, Abbott just initiated a lawsuit against Act Up-Paris in response to actions that took place on April 26, 2007: an Act Up-Paris initiated attempt to saturate the Abbott website by repeatedly connecting to it that mobilized several hundred people worldwide. Abbott is therefore proceeding to sue an association of people living with HIV and their peers .

AIDES hereby asks Abbott to end its legal proceeding against Act Up-Paris and asks all pharmaceutical companies to stop taking revengeful measures against countries that make use of compulsory licences.

AIDES also call upon other key actors of the fight against AIDS (the French Orders of Medical Practitioners and of Pharmacists, LEEM - the French pharmaceutical industry union) including also Mr Jean-François Delfraissy (ANRS Director), Gilles Brücker (InVs Director), Philippe Douste-Blazy (UNITAID president), Louis-Charles Viossat (French Ambassador on AIDS) et Michel Kazatchkine (Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) to take a public stand with regards to the behaviour of the pharmaceutical company Abbott.

Etiquetas: Abbott

Acção em Toronto no início deste mês.

Etiquetas: Abbott

Etiquetas: Abbott

Paris, 14 June 2007

Abbott versus Act Up Paris:

AIDES ready for a boycott

In support of Act Up Paris, AIDES has announced that if Abbott does not withdraw its complaint against the former it will break off any contact with the pharmaceutical company. The latter has just launched a judicial attack against Act Up Paris following the organization’s actions on 26 April 2007, when it spurred several hundred people around the world to repeatedly access the Abbott website in an attempt to overload it.

The aim of this action was to protest against the company’s decision to cease marketing new medications in Thailand, among them Kaletra, a second-line antiretroviral therapy in pill form. Abbott’s decision followed an announcement by the Thai government that it was to issue compulsory licences, in particular for a drug over which Abbott has monopoly control. Compulsory licences allow governments to manufacture or import generic versions of drugs – a practice authorized by the World Trade Organization – that are of the same quality but less expensive.

The awarding of a compulsory licence to Kaletra in particular is necessary to enable Thailand to supply this drug, which is vital for those who are seropositive and need to change their therapeutic regimen when their virus becomes resistant. A compulsory licence would allow Thailand to import generic versions of the drug at lower prices than those charged by Abbott.

Abbott’s decision therefore means denying Thai AIDS sufferers an indispensable medication, with full awareness of the consequences. Beyond Thailand, this odious act of retaliation threatens all developing countries.

While again calling on Abbott to cease its reprisals against countries employing compulsory licences, AIDES also demands that it terminate legal proceedings against Act Up Paris, which AIDES expresses solidarity with and will continue to back to the hilt.

Etiquetas: Abbott

O GAT condena com a maior firmeza os últimos actos de intimidação da Abbott Laboratories e apoia a ONG francesa Act-Up Paris.

Wall Street Journal

Abbott Breaks
With Industry,
Sues AIDS Group

Breaking what has become a taboo in the pharmaceutical industry's respectful relations with AIDS activists, Abbott Laboratories has sued a French AIDS group for launching a cyber attack against its Web site.

The unusually aggressive legal move comes on top of other controversial measures Abbott has taken, such as quintupling the price of one of its AIDS drugs in the U.S. and scrapping plans to introduce an improved formulation of another AIDS drug in Thailand.

With its lawsuit, filed in a French criminal court on May 23, the company is violating an unwritten practice the drug industry long ago adopted to be conciliatory toward AIDS organizations. Aside from angering the global AIDS community, Abbott's actions have prompted dismay among other drug makers, which have come to see picking fights with AIDS activists as self-defeating and bad public relations.

"Early on, we realized it was important to work with the activist groups," says Justine Frain, vice president of global community partnerships at GlaxoSmithKline PLC, recalling the public-relations headaches AIDS activists caused for the British drug maker with their stunts in the late 1980s, such as when they chained themselves to company buildings. Glaxo's philosophy now is "that community groups are part of the solution," she says.

Abbott, based in Abbott Park, Ill., called its suit against the group Act Up-Paris "a principled action," justified by the fact that the cyber attack interrupted some of its business activities, such as the sale of nutritional products online. Abbott says the activist group violated two articles of the French penal code that prohibit disrupting a Web site and providing the means for someone to do so.

"We respect the right to protest and, while our organizations can disagree on various matters, it is important to convey those disagreements in a respectful, appropriate and lawful manner," Abbott spokesman Scott Stoffel said. The company declined to further explain its public-relations strategy in breaking with the industry norm.

If the court rules against Act Up-Paris, it could fine it as much as €75,000, or $100,000, and order its disbanding.

Act Up-Paris is an offshoot of New York-based Act Up, which stands for AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power. The French Act Up is known for its provocative tactics, such as destroying drug companies' booths at conferences and splattering fake blood on their office buildings. It has sometimes drawn criticism from other AIDS organizations for being too radical.

"We use symbolic violence to call attention to the real violence" brought on patients by pharmaceutical companies' actions, says Jerome Martin, an Act Up-Paris member.

But AIDS activists have rallied around the organization and denounced Abbott's lawsuit as an ugly intimidation tactic. "It's the latest in a long line of miserable actions by Abbott," says Mark Harrington, executive director of the Treatment Action Group, an AIDS advocacy group based in New York.

Abbott began its hardball behavior in late 2003 when it raised the price of its AIDS drug Norvir, which is used in combination with pills from rival companies, by 400% in the U.S. The move was part of a strategy to persuade patients to stop using Norvir and the competitors' drugs and switch to Abbott's new combination pill, Kaletra.

In a page-one article¹ last January, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Abbott contemplated even more controversial actions in the months leading up to the price increase. Under one scenario, it considered removing Norvir pills from the U.S. market and selling the medicine only in a liquid formulation that one of its executive admitted tasted like vomit, emails and internal documents showed. To fend off questions from AIDS patients, Abbott discussed using the cover story that it needed Norvir pills for a humanitarian effort in Africa. Abbott says this scenario was considered by executives who weren't decision makers and quickly discarded.

Abbott further riled the AIDS community earlier this year when it withdrew all its pending new drug applications from Thailand after the country announced it would break the company's patent on Kaletra to import or produce cheaper copies of the drug. One of the applications Abbott pulled was for a newer heat-resistant formulation of Kaletra particularly well-suited to Thailand's tropical climate. Activists said the move was unprecedented and likened it to the "nuclear option."

Abbott took a more conciliatory step in April when it said it would work with the World Health Organization to sell Kaletra to many developing nations, including Thailand, below the price of generics. But it refused to reverse its decision to pull its new drug applications from the country. Abbott says it held its stance on the new-drug applications because the Thai government hasn't yet assured it that it respects intellectual property, although discussions continue.

On April 26, Act Up-Paris responded to a call by Thai AIDS patient groups to protest Abbott's actions by organizing an attack on the company's Web site. By clicking on a link posted on Act Up-Paris's own Web site, between 500 and 1,000 activists from France, Canada, the U.S., India and Thailand overloaded Abbott's server. Mr. Martin says the attack lasted a total of four hours and disabled Abbott's site for about 30 minutes on the eve of its annual shareholder meeting. (An Abbott spokesman says the site was disabled for longer than that, but couldn't provide a specific timeframe.) After sending a threatening letter to Act Up-Paris, Abbott filed suit.

Though some of the group's past stances have been criticized by other AIDS organizations, activists have come to its defense, expressing outrage that a drug company would sue protesters. They say the attack against Abbott's Web site was a legitimate mode of protest and Abbott's response is disproportionate.

"You can agree or not with [Act Up-Paris], but there is something called freedom of speech that says you can go to Abbott's headquarters and you can do the same with a Web site," says Joan Tallada, chairman of GTT, a Barcelona-based AIDS organization.

Abbott's aggressive tactics have raised eyebrows in the pharmaceutical industry. "I've spoken to pharmaceutical industry executives who think that Abbott's position on Thailand is a PR disaster for the industry," says Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a large provider of medical care to AIDS patients.

Act Up-Paris's Mr. Martin says the group will defend itself in court against the lawsuit but also plans on using the media coverage garnered by the lawsuit to draw attention back to Abbott's actions.

"We're going to use the forum they're offering us to talk about Thailand again and the horrible consequences their decision has had there," he says.

Write to John Carreyrou at john.carreyrou@wsj.com² and Avery Johnson at avery.johnson@WSJ.com³

Etiquetas: Abbott

Intimidação!!

Act-Up Paris 13.06.07


Pharmaceutical company Abbott decided to sue PLWAs group Act Up-Paris in response to the April 26th, 2007 netstrike we organized against the drug manufacturer: the first time a drug company has used legal action against us. Yet this strategy will force Abbott to justify its criminal decisions, which are depriving PLWAs in Thailand of the company’s new drugs, effectively sentencing them to death.
(...)

Etiquetas: Abbott

Ver vídeo de 2004.

Etiquetas: Abbott, norvir

Ver vídeo.

Etiquetas: Abbott

Etiquetas: Abbott, APECS, ARVs, CNSIDA

Miles White
Chairman and CEO
Abbott Laboratories
100, Abbott Park Road
Abbott Park, IL 60064
U.S.A.

Brussels / New York, April 18, 2007

Subject: Abbott/Thailand

Mr. White:

The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) and the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC) have witnessed several hostile, unprecedented decisions by Abbott management. The ritonavir price hike in the U.S. in 2003 and the Brazilian price deal in 2005 are two examples of a corporation whose ethical underpinnings were of questionable status.

Abbott's recent decision not to file Aluvia or any other new products in Thailand is a clear indication that the company may not possess an ethical compass. Your arrogant and reactionary response to the Thai government's decision to issue a compulsory license for Aluvia is a gross repudiation of corporate responsibility, and a complete lack of regard for the right of a sovereign nation to fend for the health and well being of its people. Have we not all witnessed the tragic and unforgivable repercussions of this approach when applied to foreign policy matters by certain countries?

Unless your corporate management structure lacks the competence to comprehend response to its actions, Abbott must have anticipated the international disgust that your decision, unmollified by any recent price reduction structures in other countries, would engender. This is so contrary to the productive meetings that EATG has had with your newly designated HIV/HCV research and advocacy team that we are both nonplused and very angry. What kind of partnership could actually be sustained with any company based on repeated violations of basic decency?

A well-established and regarded corporate franchise is well aware of the economic stature and political clout it possesses, and deftly balances corporate and public needs. Recent actions taken by your company suggest that is a description that is no longer applicable to Abbott.

The EATG and ATAC applaud Thailand for pursuing a compulsory license for Aluvia. Generic competition, WHO's intervention and activist pressure have compelled your company to now offer a 55% reduction in your tiered pricing for low-and lower-middle income countries. In light of current and often enduring financial barriers to the creation of a sustainable and improving market for your products, it should not have taken such effort to make what any person with average financial acumen would label good corporate sense.

So why has your corporation taken punitive and retaliatory actions against the country of Thailand? It is difficult, if not risible to envision Thailand as an adversary of any consequence to Abbott, considering the crude demonstration that you can, indeed, dictate the terms of the marketplace in that country.

Despite your announcement of a lower price for Aluvia - a clearly needed drug in Thailand and many other countries - you still withhold seven of your products from the Thai market. This is nothing more than brutal sadism masquerading as a corporate strategy to protect profit margins. The world is well aware of the demands and pressures for corporations to pursue profits. Even shortsighted, near-term profit making is considered an acceptable business practice in some sectors. Yet, a special, enduring level of revulsion is reserved for those corporations whose indecent and brutal decisions clearly endanger the health and survival of other human beings.

The Abbott slogan states "a promise for life". The repercussions of your actions in Thailand betray this corporate identifier as cynical propaganda. Some shareholders may have short memories and greedy pockets, but serious investors aware of the full spectrum of indices that determine a company's health and investment prospects, as well as patients in need of life-saving medicines, are unlikely to be impressed. We are most definitely not impressed. We no longer trust you. Trust may be extended once again in the future, but be aware it will be hard earned -- and verified. We must insist, to the benefit of all parties involved, that you immediately take the following actions.

The EATG and ATAC must witness the immediate registration of Aluvia and other Abbott products in Thailand. Abbott must publish a comprehensive list of all countries eligible for Aluvia at a cost of $1,000 and $500 per patient per year. This list must also indicate in which countries the new heat-stable formulation is registered and available, and in which countries the registration is still pending or yet to be started. These are exceedingly reasonable requests which pose no threat to the financial health of your corporation. Yet, they offer the opportunity to create a very real sense of gratitude in many sectors. Failure to comply, however, will make it impossible for us to maintain our relations with Abbott at the current level.

Sincerely,

European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)
AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC)


CC:
-          WHO DG, Dr Margaret Chan
-          UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot
-          European AIDS Clinical Society, Dr José Gatel
-          Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG)
-          Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+)
-          Minister of Public Health Thailand, Dr Mongkol na Songkhla

Etiquetas: Abbott

Etiquetas: Abbott

Agência Aids 12.04.07

As organizações não governamentais Oxfam e Médicos Sem Fronteira (MSF)
divulgaram ontem um press release sobre a decissão do laboratório Abbott de
oferecer um desconto de preço adicional de 55% aos países em
desenvolvimento para o Kaletra/Aluvia, medicamento essencial para o
tratamento da Aids.

No texto, as ONG ressaltam que continuarão a apoiar
a Tailândia em seus esforços para manter as licenças compulsórias como
uma forma alternativa de acesso aos medicamentos e pede que o Abbott
reverta sua decisão de cancelar o pedido de registro de sete
medicamentos no mercado tailandês, entre eles o Aluvia – versão
termoestável do Kaletra -, que é mais adequada para uso em um país
tropical como a Tailândia. Segundo as organizações, “essa decisão da
Abbott impede, friamente, que pessoas que precisam desses medicamentos
para sobreviver tenham acesso a eles.”

Leia o release na íntegra.

Etiquetas: Abbott

NGO Response to Abbott’s announced $1000 price for Aluvia
in Low- and Lower-Middle Income Countries
April 10, 2007

Health GAP, Student Global AIDS Campaign, American Medical Student
Association, and Essential Action applaud that Thailand’s compulsory
license, generic competition, WHO intervention, and activist pressure have
forced Abbott to offer a further 55% reduction in its tiered price for low-
and lower-middle income countries.  However, as clarified further below,
the price discounts still do not go deep enough or wide enough, and Abbott
has still withdraw Aluvia and six other medicines from the Thai
registration process in retaliation for Thailand’s lawful exercise of its
right to issue compulsory licenses for priority medicines for government,
non-commercial use.

    Abbott’s new price announcement confirms the importance of generic
    competition and the necessity of using compulsory licenses to curb
    abuses of monopoly power by pharmaceutical companies. Abbott’s
    price-discount announcement is mostly due to: (1) Cipla’s recent
    announcement (April 1, 2007) to undercut Abbott’s price and offer
    Aluvia at $1560/pppy, (2) Thailand’s decision to issue a compulsory
    license in response to the unaffordable price charged by Abbott in
    Thailand other low- and lower-middle-income countries of $2200/pppy,
    and (3) increased civil society and political pressure exerted upon
    the company in the last four weeks following its decision to
    de-register seven medicines from the Thai market.
    Abbott has not yet agreed to reverse its illegal and unethical
    withdrawal of seven registration applications from the Thai drug
    regulatory process, including the application for Aluvia, the
    heat-stable form of Kaletra that is most appropriate for use in a
    tropical country like Thailand.  Abbott may have violated Thailand’s
    competition law by withdrawing these products; it has certainly
    violated patients’ human right of access to essential life-saving
    medicines.
    Although this price is lower than what has been currently offered by
    generic manufacturers, it is still twice the access price of the
    medicine(s) in least-developed and African countries ($500/pppy), and
    will exert a heavy financial burden upon low-income and lower-middle
    income countries seeking to achieve universal access and treatment.
    Abbott should provide Kaletra/Aluvia at one, no-profit price to all
    developing countries.
    Although Abbott’s price is temporarily lower than the price offered
    by generic manufacturers, it is highly likely that generic prices
    will drop below $1000/pppy as an increasing number of patients
    require 2nd line anti-retrovirals, as generic producers reach
    economies-of-scale, and as generic versions of Aluvia are WHO
    pre-qualified and are thus purchasable with Global Fund money.
    Abbott’s price discount to Thailand, like its prior discount to
    Brazil, is primarily designed to reduce market demand that might
    incentivize efficient generic production.
    Abbott must not be permitted to blackmail Thailand into withdrawing
    any compulsory licenses in exchange for a promise to renew its
    registration application for Aluvia.  Thailand’s decision to issue
    compulsory licenses was fully consistent with World Trade
    Organization intellectual property rules and obligations and with
    Thai law.  Likewise, the Ministry of Health should not be forced to
    withdraw its compulsory licenses for efavirenz or Plavix.
    Even if Abbott is offering a lower price for Kaletra/Aluvia, it does
    not necessarily mean that Thailand should withdraw, or not execute,
    its government use license.  There are strong reasons that Thailand
    may wish to keep its compulsory license to ensure alternative sources
    of supply, to develop and support domestic and/or regional
    pharmaceutical capacity, to incentivize generic competition, and to
    subsequently procure lower-priced generic versions that are
    WHO-prequalified and registered in Thailand.
    Thailand should only purchase Kaletra/Aluvia from Abbott to ensure
    no-stock outs and reliable access across the country, and should not
    enter into any long-term, binding contract that would make Abbott the
    country’s sole supplier for multiple years and preclude future
    use/access of generic versions.  A prior decision by the Brazilian
    government to enter into a long-term contract with Abbott for
    Kaletra/Aluvia has exerted a severe financial burden upon the
    National AIDS treatment program, and the Brazilian government now
    pays a price of $1596/pppy that is 60% higher than Abbott’s new $1000
    price.
    The World Health Organization should be staunchly defending and
    supporting Thailand’s decision to issue a compulsory license, and
    should be providing technical support and assistance to the Thai and
    other governments to enforce and implement compulsory licenses.
    Any price negotiations conducted by the WHO should be done alongside
    and through national governments, and not done secretly with
    pharmaceutical companies.  Any price negotiations or transactions
    with the pharmaceutical industry should be open, transparent and
    inclusive to avoid any appearance of impropriety or undue influence
    of the pharmaceutical industry upon the UN body.

Etiquetas: Abbott

Abbott 10.04.07

Abbott Agrees with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General to Expand Access to Kaletra/Aluvia (lopinavir/ritonavir)

Abbott Reduces Price of Kaletra/Aluvia in Low and Low-Middle Income Countries to $1,00 [gralha cómica... devem querer dizer $1.000]

Abbott Park, Illinois, April 10, 2007 — Abbott and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Margaret Chan, have agreed on a balanced approach to provide Kaletra/Aluvia (lopinavir/ritonavir) capsules and tablets to more patients in the developing world, while supporting continued long-term biopharmaceutical research and development. In the interest of international public health, Director-General Chan approached Abbott to discuss how to improve affordability and access while maintaining incentives to support developing new medicines.

To meet the needs of countries committed to expanding HIV/AIDS treatment, Abbott will offer the governments of more than 40 low and low-middle income countries (as defined by World Bank criteria) and NGOs a new price of $1,000 per patient per year. This price is lower than any generic price available in the world today for this medicine and is approximately 55 percent less than the average current price for these countries.

Abbott will immediately begin discussions with individual countries where Abbott’s patents are respected to maximize the number of patients that can be provided Kaletra/Aluvia capsules and tablets at this new price.

Abbott is taking this action in order to further increase access and address the debate around pricing of HIV medicines: by increasing affordability while preserving the system that enables the discovery of new medicines. The patents of scientists and inventors must exist so that there are incentives for sustained research and development. Without this system, the miracle drugs the world enjoys today, including HIV medicines, would not exist.

Specifically, with regard to Thailand, Abbott appreciates and fully respects the suggestion of Director-General Chan that more work needs to be done with the government of Thailand to achieve a positive outcome. Meanwhile, Kaletra capsules remain available in Thailand and will be eligible for the new price.

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Etiquetas: Abbott

Entregue à Abbott na semana passada.

Saint-Petersburg, Russia

April 5, 2007

We, the participants of the Strategic meeting for achieving Universal Access in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as regional representatives of the Communities of people living with HIV/AIDS, express our solidarity with the people of Thailand and support the efforts of their government to provide free anti-retroviral treatment for all those in need.

We applaud the Thai government for its commitment to universal free access to life-saving medication for its citizens and for its decision to procure the HIV treatments at the lowest possible cost.

In an effort to increase access to affordable medicines, the government of Thailand issued a compulsory license for non-commercial use within its public health system, as provided for by World Trade Organization rules, for the Abbott’s HIV drug Kaletra. A combination of lopinavir and ritonavir, Kaletra is crucial for patients who have developed drug resistance or have adverse side effects from other AIDS medicines. The newest formulation does not need to be refrigerated or taken with food -- a major improvement for many living in rural areas.

In an unprecedented move as response to the Thai government action, Abbott has announced that it will not seek registration for any new drugs, including the new version of Kaletra. By keeping new life-saving medicines like heat-stable Kaletra off the shelves in Thailand, Abbott Labs is threatening the health of Thais who need access to these drugs for survival.

We strongly condemn the corporate blackmail exercised by Abbott Labs on the Thai people and urge the company to immediately revert this highly irresponsible decision.

The Eastern European and Central Asian Union of PLWH Organizations (ECUO)

The Russian Union of PLHIV

The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) NIS/Baltics Region

The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)

Etiquetas: Abbott

ABIA 03.04.07

3 de abril de 2007

O Grupo de Trabalho sobre Propriedade Intelectual (GTPI), da Rede Brasileira pela Integração dos Povos (REBRIP), junto às organizações abaixo assinadas vêm manifestar solidariedade à população da Tailândia, em especial àqueles que lutam pela garantia do direito à saúde e pelo acesso aos medicamentos.

O sistema de patentes, após a implementação do Acordo TRIPS da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC), passou a ter implicações severas na garantia do acesso a medicamentos no mundo, principalmente nos países em desenvolvimento.

As grandes empresas farmacêuticas têm o direito legítimo de concorrência no mercado internacional. No entanto, é muito mais legítima a autonomia dos países de estabelecerem políticas voltadas para a ampliação do acesso aos medicamentos. Cabe às nações soberanas evitarem os abusos do sistema proposto internacionalmente e que atualmente favorece unicamente os interesses privados.

Assinam:

Etiquetas: Abbott

Assinar a petição.

To: citizens of the world

We, the Thai network of people living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+) in solidarity with:
AIDS ACCESS Foundation
Thai Foundation for consumers
Thai Rural Doctors society
Thai Chronic renal failure network
Thai Alternative Agriculture network
Thai Parents network
Thai Rural Pharmacist society
Thai NGOs Coalition on AIDS
FTA Watch
and with HIV/AIDS activists around the world call on a global boycott of Abbott products in response to their recent callous decision to withdrawal all their current medications awaiting registration in addition to refusing to register any new pharmaceutical products in Thailand.

This extreme decision is in response to the recent granting of a compulsory license for the Abbott manufactured, Kaletra (Lopinavir and Ritonovir) by the Thai government.

Thailand’s decision to grant 3 compulsory licenses for Kaletra, Plavix (an anti clotting agent) and Efavirenz (another ARV) is completely legal and in accordance with Thai law and WTO TRIPS agreement. It was a brave and necessary step by the Thai government to ensure access to quality care and treatment for all people living with HIV/AIDS. It will allow Thailand to import the ARV, Kaletra from India at a cost of less than 4000 baht ($US113) per person per month in contrast to Abbott’s current price of 8900 baht ($US250) per person per month or 11,580 ($US325) per person per month when selling to NGOs- This price is unacceptable and unaffordable to the Thai government and in time will threaten the Thai government’s ability to fulfill its promise of providing ARV treatment to all Thais who need it.

Abbott’s decision also denies Thai PLHA access to the new heat resistant formula Kaletra- of vital importance to a tropical country such as Thailand.

This action by Abbott is unprecedented by a Pharmaceutical company and a comprehensive and intensive global campaign is needed to ensure that this never happens again and to register our disgust and condemnation for their precedence of profit over people.

We are asking people to not purchase any Abbott products to send Abbott a message that the world is watching and that will never accept dirty and life threatening tactics such as these.

Please note that you should only change your medication under the supervision of your medical practitioner and only when an appropriate alternative medication is available. We explicitly do not want people to stop taking Abbott produced medication if no equivalent medication exists.

Abbott produces a wide range of pharmaceuticals and over the counter medications and preparations. Please take note of the following Abbott products to avoid purchasing them.

FUNGIZONE INTRAVENOUS
RYTMONORM 150 MG
RYTMONORM 300 MG
ISOPTIN SR 240 MG.
PROCORUM 50 MG.
AKINETON 2 MG
REDUCTIL 15 MG
REDUCTIL 10 MG
GOPTEN 0.5 MG
GOPTEN 2 MG
ERYTHROCIN-IV (ERYTHROMYCIN LACTOBIONATE 500 MG)
ERY-TAB
IBERET - 500
CALCIJEX (1 MCG/ML)
CALCIJEX (2 MCG/ML)
NORVIR (ORAL SOLUTION)
KALETRA ORAL SOLUTION
ACYCLOVIR SODIUM FOR INJECTION (500 MG )
ACYCLOVIR SODIUM FOR INJECTION (1G)
GENGRAF 100 MG
GENGRAF 50 MG
GENGRAF 25 MG
GENGRAF
ATRACURIUM BESYLATE INJECTION
BRUFEN 400
BRUFEN 600
SURBEX - T
QUELICIN (100 MG/ML)
HYTRIN (1 MG.)
HYTRIN (10MG)
HYTRIN (2 MG)
HYTRIN (5 MG)
KLACID
KLACID (PAEDIATRIC SUSPENSION)
KLACID 500
KLACID (R) MR
FORANE
SEVORANE
ACYCLOVIR 500 MG
SPORAL IV,0.9\% SODIUM CHLORIDE INJECTION
PRECEDEX
ISUPREL
KLACID
KLACID (GRANULES FOR ORAL SUSPENSION)
PENTOTHAL SODIUM

Nutrition product worldwide
• AdvantEdge
• Alimentum Advance
• Alitra Q
• Calcilo XD
• Cyclinex-1
• EleCare
• Embrace
• Enlive!
• Enrich Plus
• Ensure
• Ensure Fiber
• Ensure High Calcium
• Ensure High Protein
• Ensure Plus
• Glucerna
• Glutarex-1
• Hominex-1
• Isomil
• Jevity
• Juven
• Ketonex
• Myoplex
• NeoSure Advance
• Nepro
• Nutrisure
• Optimental
• Osmolite
• Oxepa
• PaediaSure
• Pedialyte
• PediaSure
• PediaSure Plus with Fiber
• PediaSure With Fiber
• Phenex
• Pivot 1.5 Cal
• ProMod
• Promote
• Pro-Phree
• Propimex-1
• ProSure
• Pulmocare
• RCF
• Rehydralyte
• Similac
• Similac 2 Advance
• Similac Advance
• Similac Human Milk Fortifier
• Similac Lactose Free Advance
• Similac Low Iron
• Similac Natural Care Advance
• Similac PM 60/40
• Similac Special Care Advance 20
• Similac with Iron
• Suplena
• TwoCal
• Vital HN
• ZonePerfect

Public support for this campaign is vital. Please think carefully about the products that you are buying and who manufactures them. Currently Abbott’s decision stands to gravely disadvantage PLHA in Thailand but if they are allowed to set a precedent such as this, there may be no end to the groups directly affected by a lack of access to standard care and treatment. These sort of tactics need to stop NOW.

Thank you for your support. If you require any further information, please contact Brigitte at TNP+ on +66 851334530 or check our website at www.thaiplus.net for more explanation and detail about the TRIPS agreement and compulsory licensing.

Yours in solidarity,

The Thai network of people living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+)

Etiquetas: Abbott

Welcome to Abbott's Greed (página dedicada à ganância da Abbott)

Stop AIDS Campaign:
Multinational pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories has once again positioned itself against the rights of poor people to access life-saving treatment. This time Abbott is trying to stop the Government of Thailand from legally making affordable generic versions of key HIV and AIDS drugs.
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Etiquetas: Abbott