Campaign group's concern at blocks on India's generic exports

An HIV and AIDS campaigner has written an open letter to the US government in protest at what it calls the government’s bid to “discourage and curb the globe’s supply of affordable generic medicines available from India.”

South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), which advocates for increased access to treatment, care and support services for people living with HIV and campaigns to reduce new HIV infections, wrote to US Trade Representative Michael Froman. The letter said the group objects to the placement of India on the US Special 301 Watch List over objections to the country’s intellectual property system, and attempts by a group of US commercial businesses to “influence” Vice President Joe Biden’s current meetings in India.

The TAC notes that India has become an essential source of affordable medicines, producing over 80% of medicines, and as many as 90% of pediatric medicines, used in the developing world. The historic scale up of antiretroviral treatment has reached more than 8 million people in the developing world with life-saving HIV antiretrovirals – including 2 million people in South Africa. It adds: “But this breakthrough has only been possible due to major price drops achieved through the introduction of generic competition.”