Sens. Sherrod Brown and Bernie Sanders send letter to USTR condemning pressure on Colombia compulsory license for cancer drug

(More on Colombia here: /colombia)

In response to reports of USTR pressure on Colombia’s potential compulsory license for imatinib, Senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have sent a letter to USTR objecting “to any efforts to protect the public health of Colombians in a way that is appropriate, effective, and consistent with the country’s trade and public health obligations,” and condemning as unconscionable “that any representatives of the U.S. government would threaten to rescind funding for Colombia’s peace iniative if a compulsory license for Glivec were issued.” Continue Reading

WHA 69: Colombian Minister of Health Calls on WHO to Support the Regulation of Drug Monopolies

(More on Colombia here: /colombia)

On May 24, 2016, Colombia’s Minister of Health, Alejandro Gaviria, made an intervention at the World Health Assembly that referred to the pressure Colombia has been facing with regard to the potential compulsory license for imatinib and called for the WHO to support members to ensure sustainable development through the regulation of pharmaceutical monopolies and promoting competition, transparency, and the rational use of drugs.
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Background FAQ on Glivec (imatinib) compulsory license in Colombia

(More on Colombia here: /colombia) For more information, contact: (U.S.) Andrew Goldman, KEI: andrew.goldman@keionline.org or +1 (202) 332-2670 (Colombia) Andrea Carolina Reyes Rojas, Misión Salud: subdireccion@mision-salud.org (Colombia) Dr. Francisco Rossi, IFARMA: francisco_rossi@hotmail.com Frequently Asked Questions What is happening in Colombia… Continue Reading

Letter to HHS and NIH regarding impact of high prices on cost effectiveness of Xtandi

KEI submitted the attached letter to Secretary Burwell and Director Collins in support of the KEI/UACT petition that asked the NIH (or the Army) to use the federal government rights in the patents on the prostate cancer drug Xtandi, to remedy the excessive and discriminatory price in the United States. The letter calls attention to findings of an article from the the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, in which the authors conclude that a reduction in price would make Xtandi the most-cost effective option.

The text of the letter follows:

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KEI Comments to U.S. Copyright Office on Section 1201

On March 3, 2016, KEI filed a comment with the U.S. Copyright Office in Docket No. 2015-8, regarding 17 U.S.C. § 1201.

The comment made specific recommendations regarding changes to the rulemaking procedure, the anti-trafficking provisions, and permanent exemptions, and also suggested requiring a registration and application process, as well as payment of a fee, for the DRM/TPM seeking legal protection under the law.

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Colombia Technical Committee Recommends Declaration that a Compulsory License on Imatinib (Gleevec) Would Be in Public Interest

(More on Colombia here: /colombia)

In Colombia, a technical committee has issued a recommendation that a declaration be made that a compulsory license on imatinib (Gleevec) would be in the public interest. Under Colombian law, this is an important intermediary step prior to the actual grant of a compulsory license.

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