Summary: A new study sponsored by the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) sheds light on the impact of strong intellectual property protection on access to medicines.
Since joining World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000, and signing a free trade agreement with the United States in 2001, Jordan has dramatically strengthened the intellectual property protection it provides for pharmaceutical products. The MeTA study quantifies the impact of these developments by evaluating the effects on the private retail market of delayed market entry of generics. MeTA assembled an international, multidisciplinary research team composed of representatives from the Jordanian government, originator and generics industries, academics and health care providers to analyze data from IMS Health, the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), the Jordan Patent Office (JPO) and the Jordan Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (JAPM).
The study estimates that delayed market entry of generics due to enhanced IP protection cost Jordanian private consumers approximately 18 million US dollars annually. Based on its findings, the study concludes that Jordan should consider amending its current regulatory scheme on data protection as well as the Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Law of 2000. Jordan should also consider increasing spending on public health to offset the impact of strengthening its intellectual property protection. The study was published in the Journal of Generic Medicines, and it is being made available online without charge for a limited time at: http://jgm.sagepub.com/content/9/2/75.full.pdf+html.
Full source:
http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/07/23/access-to-medicines-and-intellectual-property-in-jordan/
