Hopes for a breakthrough on the contentious issue of TRIPS and Public Health were dashed on Saturday with the United States sticking to its stand of concessions for its pharma industry even as India and other developing countries firmly opposed any dilution of the Doha Declaration.

Advocating concerns of African and least developed countries at the ongoing mini-ministerial meeting in Tokyo, Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley categorically said India was not in favour of any dilution of Doha Declaration on the issue which permitted compulsory licensing to provide poor countries access to cheap medicines.

Jaitley said the humanitarian problems faced by these countries could not be left out thereby increasing the misery of the population.

These countries should be given the right to issue compulsory licences for production of cheap drugs.

US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, however, reiterated US's stand in favour of granting concession to its pharmaceutical firms.

The EU delegates agreed with India's viewpoint and severely criticized the US for stalling an agreed agenda and reopening the same for addressing its lobbies.

Delegates, at a press conference, termed US attitude as 'very frustrating' resulting in a stalemate on the issue. They advocated for an early resolution of the issue so as to address pressing problems faced by African and least developed countries.

At Doha, all countries, including the US, had agreed that countries, without drug manufacturing ability, could issue compulsory licences to other countries for production and supply of even patented drugs to tackle public health crisis.

However, the US later backtracked allegedly under pressure from its pharma companies and did not agree to the procedural draft tabled by the Trips council at Geneva.

India seeks access for goods, services