Novartis Taking Indian Government to Court

From http://www.msf.org/petition_india/australia.html

Millions of people around the world today rely on affordable medicines produced in India.  India's law contains elements that help put people before patents, but Novartis is taking the Indian government to court to force a change in the law. Neither Novartis, nor any company, should stand in the way of people's right to access the medicines they need...Tell Novartis it has no business standing in the way of people's right to access the medicines they need. Sign on and urge Novartis to DROP THE CASE against the Indian government. http://www.msf.org/petition_india/australia.html 

If you would like to sign the petition, go to http://www.msf.org/petition_india/australia.html

Signed.

Medicine are supposed to help people and Novartis should not restrict it to itself; just for making money.

I signed it my self and sent it to my friends also to sign it.

By the way i didn't know Novartis is a bunch of mean people .

Zaini.

I hope there is no effect of this on Exjade release in India

This is really disturbing news... This wont effect only people in India but also neighbourin countries too.. Because i know for sure that a lot of medicines are imported to Maldivies from India... even Kelfer is imported from India...

Ive signed the petition and send to friends this link and the link of the site...

I hope too Narendra, that this doesnt affect the release of Exjade in India... Was looking forward to that day...

I signed it.  Novartis aggravates the hell out of me.   

I signed and made all my friends sign too

Manal

I signed, too. Maybe it will do some good. Jean

From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070430/ap_on_go_ot/copyright_piracy&printer=1;_ylt=AuM7IBrZeUaPhKFZyQmefFh2wPIE

The Bush administration on Monday placed the 12 countries on a "priority watch list" which will subject them to extra scrutiny and could eventually lead to economic sanctions if the administration decides to bring trade cases before the World Trade Organization...In elevating Thailand to the priority watch list, the administration said it was concerned by a range of issues including a "deteriorating protection for patents and copyrights." Thailand is currently in a dispute with international drug companies including Abbott Laboratories of the United States over the cost of drugs to fight AIDS and other diseases.
The Thai government in January issued compulsory licenses allowing the use of much cheaper generic versions of two leading drugs in Thailand.
Representatives of U.S. companies applauded the new administration report but Oxfam America denounced the administration for what the international development agency said was a misstatement of the rights of U.S. companies under international trade rules.
"The report ignores important international agreements signed by the U.S. government ... which clearly state that developing countries have the right to place public health and the public interest over intellectual property rules," said Rohit Malpani, a policy adviser with Oxfam.

The US has signed these agreements that put people over profits in terms of life-saving drugs, but the continuing influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the Bush administration is once again evident. Bush's largest political contributions have come from the pharmaceutical industry and their reward seems to be this placing of their financial interests above international agreements that would protect people from price gouging. People need these drugs to survive and it is unconscionable to try to deprive them of their lives so that drug companies can reap even higher profits.