James Love: In Defense Of WikiLeaks: Looking At Cables On Pharmaceutical Drugs And Trade Pressures

May 2001 to February 2010, the Department of State published 23 cables per week mentioning pharmaceuticals. A typical but shocking example of this was the U.S. campaign to undermine legislation and reforms to make medicines more affordable in the Philippines. In one striking quote from a September 2009 cable setting out opposition to price controls, Kristie Kenney, then the United States Ambassador to the Philippines (currently Ambassador to Thailand), acknowledges there is a strong rationale for the Philippines to cut drug prices:

"Prescription medication prices in the Philippines are the second highest in Asia (next to Japan), in a country where about a third of the population subsists below the official poverty line. In this instance, some multinational companies failed to recognize that cheaper medicine for the masses is an emotional and political issue."

Then there is this May 14, 2007 cable from Ralph Boyce, then the Ambassador to Thailand, where he seems elated that Abbott Laboratories was withdrawing drug registrations for seven products, including among others, a version of a US government funded AIDS drugs that could be used without refrigeration -- a feature quite important for AIDS patients living in rural areas.

http://cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=07BANGKOK1524"

¶1. Abbott Labs, the recent target of a compulsory license on their patented antiretroviral Kaletra, confirmed to Embassy that the company had withdrawn applications for registration of seven new pharmaceutical products in Thailand, and had no plans to introduce new products until its intellectual property was properly respected. The seven drugs include Aluvia, a new heat-stable version of Kaletra. Although the two drugs are identical in effect, the new version is considered ideal for tropical environments such as Thailand. Other drug applications pulled include treatments for hypertension, kidney disease, auto-immune disease and congestive heart failure. The applications had been on file with the Thai FDA for up to ten months awaiting approval.

¶4. Comment: Abbott's actions will certainly be controversial. However, the action may strengthen the hand of Abbott and the rest of industry in future dealings with the RTG. Abbott's move puts the RTG on notice that there are visible consequences for its actions, rather than solely a vague weakening of the investment environment. Whether this focuses the minds of RTG officials at upcoming negotiations remains to be seen. End Comment. BOYCE

You don't have to be Noam Chomsky to find this truly appalling.

via huffingtonpost.com

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