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CPI sees bid to block export of generic drugs

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has asked the Centre to clarify its stand on renewed attempts by multinational pharmaceutical companies and developed countries to block generic drugs manufactured in India for sale and export.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said the new attempts came under the guise of tackling sub-standard and spurious medicines.

Known as ‘anti-counterfeiting,’ numerous proposals were being floated internationally to define counterfeiting in a way that would block legal generics from being exported.

Drawing Dr. Singh’s attention to the fact that Parliament had been clear on the need to ensure access to cheap and quality generic medicines, Mr. Bardhan said these efforts were now sought to be undermined by the ‘anti-counterfeiting’ measures. These proposed measures include a new definition of counterfeiting emerging from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Within the WHO, this was being pushed by a group known as IMPACT or the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce.

The antecedents of IMPACT were well known and their agenda was clear. By confusing the issue of the quality of medicines with that of Intellectual Property they were furthering the agenda of multinational pharmaceutical companies to halt the export of medicines by Indian companies.

“This is no surprise as the industry association of multinational pharmaceutical companies, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) is part of IMPACT and has consistently opposed the manufacture of safe generic medicines in India.”

Mr. Bardhan said IMPACT had no official sanction. India and other developing countries in May halted a resolution on counterfeiting. More and more developing countries were realising the need to ensure access to generic medicines to fulfil the right to health.

The Drugs Controller General of India is scheduled to attend a meeting at Bonn on November 25 and 26.

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