Green | January 30, 2008 | 4 comments

AIDS treatment patent revoked

source: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=2484

Image
JordanRoth
Gilead Sciences's "tenofovir disoproxil fumarate," or TDF for you acronym lovers out there, has had it's patent revoked. The public interest group Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) has demonstrated that TDF was a know compound, and therefore unable to receive patent protection. What does this mean? I'll let the article do the talking:

"The evidence on which the US based its decision could therefore lead to the Indian patent office rejecting the patent application. Similarly, in Brazil, a patent opposition filed by HIV/AIDS groups and a government pharmaceutical laboratory could also mean a patent might not be granted for TDF in Brazil.

If a patent is not granted in these countries, generic manufacturers could freely manufacture and export generic versions of TDF without restrictions, leading to greater competition and therefore lower prices.

In addition, should Gilead’s patent application be rejected in India, the voluntary license agreements that the company has already signed with most Indian generic manufacturers would be put into question."
  1. groups:
    Green,   Earth and Science,   Health
  2. tags:
    Green,  Earth and Science,  Health,  India,  7 more
  3.     
    |

4 comments // AIDS treatment patent revoked

  • echoz
    • 0
      echoz  

    • =D yeah. BIG THANKS to the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) huh? ...and such vigilance the common man has to maintain with so many self-promoting untouchables out there, lurking...like vultures for a profit.

    • 4 years ago
  • Humdrum
    • 0
      Humdrum  

    • Good news.

      Isn't the guy trying to patent and profit from a drug made to cure a worldwide sickness always painted as a maniacal villain in most action movies...?

      Yes indeed. For good reason.

    • 4 years ago
  • mattbrawn
    • 0
      mattbrawn  
    • Image

    • Definitely a win for the people!

      So with this patent being revoked and the development of this new pill, hopefully the AIDS epidemic might begin to see some light at the end of it's tunnel.

    • 4 years ago
  • nkeg87
    • 0
      nkeg87  

    • Definitely a win for the people. This would make treatments much more affordable and much more widely available. I love pharmacy...but pharmaceutical companies are ridiculous.

    • 4 years ago
more from Green:
from the community

top videos