Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16297

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Shaffer ER, Brenner JE
A Trade Agreement's Impact On Access To Generic Drugs
Health Affairs 2009 Aug 25; 28:(5):
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.28.5.w957v1

Abstract:

Millions of people lack access to affordable medicines. The intellectual property rules in the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) provide pharmaceutical companies with monopoly protections that allow them to market some drugs without competition by less costly generics. We examined availability of certain drugs in Guatemala and found that CAFTA intellectual property rules reduced access to some generic drugs already on the market and delayed new entry of other generics. Some drugs protected from competition in Guatemala will become open for generic competition in the United States before generic versions will be legally available in Guatemala.