ISDS Case Map
medicines
‘Jamu' or medicinal herb tonic producers in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region are making efforts to standardize their commodities in the face of the advent of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA), an Indonesian jamu businessman said.
This is an English translation of a full study done in Colombia of the impacts of its US free trade agreement (FTA) on medicine consumption and the Colombian generic industry. The study study used the World Health Organization's methodology.
The recent decisions of the Thai Ministry of Public Health to announce the Government Use of Patents on three patented drugs, i.e., Efavirenz (Stocrin®) of Merck Sharp and Dohme), Lopinavir+Ritonavir (Kaletra®) of Abbott Laboratory) and Clopidogrel (Plavix®) of Sanofi-Aventis), based on proposals from the National Health Security Office, have raised several questions among the public and also the concerned partners as well as the pharmaceutical industries, both in the country and internationally.
A negative fallout of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement could be an increase in the narcotic traffic in the region, said Dr MM Bhatnagar, member of the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB).
Malaysia is currently in negotiations with the United States for a Free Trade Agreement (MUFTA) which is expected to ease the way for attracting more foreign direct investment to Malaysia. Amongst the issues being negotiated is the strengthening of intellectual property rights (IPR) in Malaysia.
Letter from the Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries contesting the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce's claim that that the country's generic medicine manufacturers will do better if the Malaysia-US free trade agreement is signed.
The military-installed Thai government is entering into a risky new battle with farmer's groups and the anti-FTA movement by pressing ahead with the Thai-Japan free trade agreement. Thousands of farmers, environmental activists and medical patients now plan to stage a mass protest next month against the government's pro-FTA policy.
Despite an earlier announcement that all signing and negotiating of free trade agreements would be halted, the government of Gen Surayud Chulanont bit its tongue yet again, with the issuing of a cabinet resolution on Feb 20 stating its readiness to go ahead with the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA).
Farmers release animals in protest, 500 attend all-night vigil; KoA protest delegation holds all-night vigil, congressional briefing in DC; Limiting access to healthcare: FTA and pharmaceuticals
Malaysia's Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani has publicly stated his country's stand "that generic drugs should not be restricted in any manner". Implying that a US-Malaysia FTA could result in more expensive drugs, he said that Malaysia is not going to negotiate on this issue, and added “we are providing the drugs for free.”
