Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4914

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: news

Activists Crash Big Pharma's Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
DC Indymedia 2006 May 16
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/133881/index.php#

Notes:

Ralph Faggotter’s Comments:

“ Evergreening is a tactic by which pharmaceutical companies extend their monopoly by repeatedly patenting the same drug. “Authorized generics” refers to a practice in which the brand name company pays other companies to not produce cheaper versions of off-patent medicine. The brand name company then produces the “authorized” version of the drug itself. “

It is good to see some-one drawing attention to both of these practices as, by keeping drug prices artificially inflated, they are against the best interests of the public.

Full text: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party

Attendees at the prestigious BIO-Windhover 2006 conference were stunned as activists interrupted their cocktail party on the first day of a three-day event. Billed as “the most exclusive partnering event” for senior decision-makers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, BIO-Windhover is intended to provide a space for business development executives to negotiate licensing deals. Representatives from the biggest pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca were in attendance.

The crowd went silent as one of the activists blasted an air horn. Another activist then addressed the crowd, scolding the pharmaceutical executives for abusing the patent system to the detriment of the public’s health. Flyers addressing the protestors’ specific demands were then tossed into the air. “Evergreening, Authorized Generics Hurt Patients,” read the flyer.

Evergreening is a tactic by which pharmaceutical companies extend their monopoly by repeatedly patenting the same drug. “Authorized generics” refers to a practice in which the brand name company pays other companies to not produce cheaper versions of off-patent medicine. The brand name company then produces the “authorized” version of the drug itself.

The activists concluded with a chant of “People not Profits!”

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Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
16 May 2006
by Anonymous
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Nice work! I liked the air horn it added a nice little friendly touch!

Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
17 May 2006
by Anonymous
Reply to this comment
Are your tactics really in line with what you;re trying to get done? Is littering and making noise going to convince these executives to restructure their industry and give up profit? If you refuse to think before you act, you’re going to continue doing more harm to your cause than good.

Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
17 May 2006
by Pete@Ambush.TV
Reply to this comment
Nice job! If this video is part of a campaign and you have a website where people can learn more or take action, post it over at www.Ambush.TV – a video upload site for activists. We’ll include hotlinks with your video over to whatever urls you want us to point at.

Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
18 May 2006
by needs medicine
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Thanks for trying to kill me.

Re: Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
18 May 2006
by Nonesense
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Big pharma is trying to kill you…do you need us to explain how?

Re: Re: Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
19 May 2006
by Anonymous
Reply to this comment
Yes. Please put on your foil pyramid hat and tell me about the global conspiracy between the Bush administration, pharma, and the Knihts of Columbus to take over the world.

LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE VIDEO
19 May 2006
by the hard guey
Reply to this comment
for those you that like DOWNLOADING videos, I checked the source code for this page and came up with this handy dandy link:

images.indymedia.org/imc/washingtondc/media/video/10/bio.mov

Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
19 May 2006
by Hallmark
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Poor power to you!!!!More people should have the balls to stand up against the Pharmy Industers!

Re: Activists Crash Big Pharma’s Party: Short Video Clip and Commentary
19 May 2006
by an editor
Reply to this comment
Warning: If you continue to use “have the balls” by way of analogy, your posts will be taken down for sexism.