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Rediff.com  » Business » Indian generics have made drugs affordable

Indian generics have made drugs affordable

By Aziz Haniffa in Washington
Last updated on: June 19, 2009 12:17 IST
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India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma declared in Washington that "the arrival of Indian generics changed the pharmaceutical discourse globally," even as he lashed out at greedy multinational pharmaceutical giants that have consistently tried to discredit India's generic drugs.

During a press conference following his meetings with senior US Administration officials, Sharma argued that "before the arrival of the Indian generics, there was a suffocating stranglehold of multinational cartels, particularly on anti-retrovirals and life-saving drugs--it was beyond the reach for poor countries."

He said, for India, "This issue was ethical not commercial," and that "it was first fought on the soil of Africa, when the issue of Indian entry retrovirals came up and at the time the cost of ARV's per person, per annum was between $13,000-$15,000."

"It was brought down in one stroke to $1,200, and today, it is in the vicinity of $600. That is a huge contribution."

Sharma recalled that at that time, "this was litigated -- the multinational cartels went to the court in South Africa and they lost."

Since then, he said, "We know there have been many attempts to discredit Indian generics because they pose a larger challenge."

"I put it in the more in ethical perspective than the commercial one," he said, but argued that "even if we have to look at the commerce, then commerce should be favoring the poor and the vulnerable," he added.\

Sharma said "this entire debate or the questions which are raised and seizures are not on the validity or the authenticity--it's pure commercial considerations."

"Let me go one step forward, and I know I am going to touch the hornet's nest, (but) recently, when there were appeals worldwide revived because of the pandemic--the swine flu having been upgraded unfortunately to Category 6, with those who have vaccine Tamiflu to make in available on a concessional rate, without naming it--you name them--these are the same forces, the same multinationals, who have refused to lower the price," he said. "It's as recent as day-before-yesterday. So, let the world judge."

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Aziz Haniffa in Washington
 

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