Drug makers call for pressure on Guatemala over patents
A Central American alliance of major international pharmaceutical manufacturers has called for Guatemala to be placed on a special US watch list for allegedly breaking intellectual property commitments under the US-Central America-Dominican Republic free trade agreement (CAFTA-DR).
A Central American alliance of major international pharmaceutical manufacturers has called for Guatemala to be placed on a special US watch list for allegedly breaking intellectual property commitments under the US-Central America-Dominican Republic free trade agreement (CAFTA-DR).
Fedefarma (Federacion Centroamericana de Laboratorios Farmaceuticos), which includes Bristol Myers Squibb, Glaxo-Smithkline, Pfizer and Roche, is concerned about a fast-track registration procedure introduced by Guatemala's department of registration and control of pharmaceutical and related products covering medicines 'sufficiently well known'.
The manufacturers claim this undermines a CAFTA-DR-based Guatemala presidential decree that marketing approvals covered by a patent be blocked without 'the express and prior authorisation of the patent right holder' and that new market applications include certified and sworn statements they do not infringe existing patents.