[DEBATE] : Roche's structural violence against PLW HIV/AIDS in Korea

[Miles Teg]

A repeat of the South African case - except not a compulsory license in 
sight... hey wait a minute that is much like South Africa... so what 
exactly did Erwin and DOH do about this... Ahh yes they left Big Pharma 
and went after the small corner shop pharmacist...



If you're HIV positive in the US, and have become resistant to all first 
and second line treatment, most of the time you have access to Fuzeon, a 
critical last-line HIV medication. But if you live in Korea, you cannot 
get access and will likely die. Roche, the maker of Fuzeon, has refused 
to sell Fuzeon to the Korean government for a reasonable rate, and 
Korean people with HIV are at risk as a result.

Korean activists have asked for our support in calling for Roche to drop 
the price of Fuzeon. Can you send an email to Roche's CEO and tell him 
to drop the price of Fuzeon? Here's the link: 
http://capwiz.com/ams/issues/alert/?alertid=12006781&type=CU

Next week, US activists will be holding protests across the US at Roche 
offices. And Korean and French activists will also be protesting Roche 
and calling for them to drop the price of Fuzeon. By combining our 
efforts together across the globe, we can force Roche to drop the price 
of Fuzeon. Please take two minutes to click this link and send this very 
critical email.

http://capwiz.com/ams/issues/alert/?alertid=12006781&type=CU

If you'd like more information, pasted below is the call to action from 
Korean activists, as well as the press release put out by ACT UP Paris 
and allies.

Please take a moment to send this email.

Thanks!

    * ACT UP Philadelphia, ACT UP/NY, American Medical Student 
Association, Health GAP and the Student Global AIDS Campaign

--
Calling for the Global Action Week Against Roche!

Korean patients and activists are calling for "The Global Action Week 
Against Roche 1st-7th October 2008" to urge Roche to stop abuse their 
power and threaten HIV patients, starting with October 1st, the 
anniversary day of establishment of Roche.

Background
Fuzeon is an essential drug for HIV-positive people who have tried other 
anti-HIV drugs in the past and are unable to keep their viral loads 
undetectable using drugs that are currently available. Korea Ministry 
for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs listed Fuzeon on the price of 
$18,000 a year in 2004. However the Swiss drug giant Roche claimed $ 
22,000 and has withheld the supply of this life saving drug in South Korea.

A marketing director of Roche Korea said in the news interview that 
Roche has not supplied Fuzeon to developing countries including South 
Korea because they have no ability to pay for the drug. That is to say, 
Fuzeon will not be supplied for the countries who do not have enough 
money to pay for. In the meeting, Mr. Urs said 'we do not business for 
saving lives, but for making money. Saving lives is none of our business'.

Roche argues that the demand for $22,000 is never excessive one because 
South Korea has the National Healthcare Insurance System and is 
classified into high-income country by World Bank. However, it should be 
noted that national healthcare system is currently under threat from 
multinational drug companies. Aggressive drug pricing policy by 
pharmaceutical companies is threatening not only developing countries 
but developed countries.

Most developed countries have national healthcare system, but now it is 
shrinking from the multinational drug companies and FTAs. For instance, 
Korea-U.S. FTA makes it very difficult to issue 'compulsory licensing' 
which enables people to control drugs and undermines people's access to 
medicine by introducing various measures to strengthen patent and 
intellectual property protections on medicine. In this way, the national 
healthcare system even in the developed countries is rapidly changing 
and the burden of expensive medicine price now affects the people.

Big pharmaceutical companies often argue that the problem of 'access to 
medicine' can be solved by charity and mercy to developing countries. 
However, the exact point is not 'access to medicine for poor' but 
'access to medicine for all'. In addition, it should be emphasized that 
people's struggle to access the 3rd line therapy is also very important. 
Because we believe that any patient has a right to access the most 
suitable and affordable medicine for oneself.

We believe that our struggle is your struggle and can be extended to the 
campaign against the aggressive drug pricing policy of big 
pharmaceutical companies and drug monopoly across the world.

What you can do

Therefore we are calling upon people to take action around the world.

First, we are inviting you to sign-on the letter to urge Roche to desist 
from jeopardizing the lives of HIV patients. If you would like to sign 
on, please send your organization's name or your name and city/state 
where you live or work to <naengee at hotmail.com 
<http://naengee@hotmail.com> >. The deadline for sign-on is September 
29, 2008.(the deadline has been extended)

Second, we are calling for organizing every possible form of protest 
such as picketing, press conference and demonstration from October 1st 
to 7th. Please be sure to send any information to <naengee at hotmail.com 
<http://naengee@hotmail.com> > so as to share news about your plans.

--
Press release - september 29th


South Korean activists and the international HIV/aids community are 
calling for a Global Week of Action against Roche (OCTOBER 1st-7th)

ROCHE PHARMA IN SOUTH KOREA
If you have a monopoly, no need to be human.




As Roche holds a patent it enjoys a monopoly on the HIV/AIDS drug 
Fuzeon. In South Korea, Roche chooses to withhold a drug to patients in 
critical need then cut its price. Big pharma greed is limitless and 
shameless.

The Korean Ministry for Health listed Fuzeon -- an HIV/AIDS drug used in 
case of treatment failure -- at the price of $18,000 a year in 2004.
However the Swiss drug giant Roche wanted $22,000 for the drug and, 
since the government did not want to accept this price, withheld the 
supply of this life saving drug in South Korea. A marketing director for 
Roche Korea declared in a news interview that Roche will not supply 
Fuzeon to developing countries including South Korea because these 
countries have no ability to pay for the drug.

Moreover, The president of Roche Korea Mr. Urs added : 'We do not 
business for saving lives, but for making money. Saving lives is none of 
our business'.
Roche argues that the demand for $22,000 is not excessive because South 
Korea has a National Healthcare Insurance System and is classified as a 
high-income country by World Bank. Roche charges this same price both in 
the United States - where GDP per capita is $46,000 - and in a 
developing country like South Korea, where GDP per capita is $19,400. 
The sell of the Fuzeon netted $266,8 millions in sales in 2007. There is 
no excuse for Roche's behavior, the company is acting out of greed and 
costing HIV patients their lives.
Moreover, Roche pharma announced last July that it has suspended its 
researches in the HIV/aids. It seems that the sales were not profitable 
enough for the Swiss giant pharma Roche.

To react to this new infamy of big pharma, Korean patients and activists 
are calling for 'The Global Action Week Against Roche' to urge Roche to 
stop abusing their power and threatening HIV patients, starting on 
October 1st.

Roche's greed must be sanctioned; Korea must issue compulsory licensing 
to overcome the patent (and enable lower prices).

As people living with AIDS, fighting for our lives, we, South Korean and 
international HIV/AIDS activists call on all people across the world, to 
join the South Korean campaign against Roche's aggressive drug pricing 
policies (oct 1-7 2008).

COMPULSORY LICENCING = LIFE



-- 
South Korea :
Korea HIV/AIDS Network of Solidarity , Nanuri+, HIV/AIDS Human Rights 
Advocacy Group of KoreaHYPERLINK "genuineok at hanmail.net 
<http://genuineok@hanmail.net> ", <mailto:genuineok at hanmail.net> Public 
Pharmaceutical Center, Solidarity for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender 
Human Rights of Korea, Korean Gay Men's Human Rights Group, Sarangbang, 
Group for Human Rights, Health Right Network, Korean Federation of 
Medical Groups for Health Rights, Association of Korea Doctors for 
Health Rights, Association of Physicians for Humanism, Korea Dentists 
Association for Health Society, Korea Health and Medical Workers Union, 
Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society,People's Solidarity for Social 
Progress, Intellectual Property Left, Korean Progressive Network 
Jinbonet, Korea Leukemia Patient Group, New Progressive Party, Love4one 
(for people PWLH group), NNHAP (Nopi Narara Aids Positive), Democratic 
Labor Party, Sexual Minority Committee of the Democratic Laber Party
United States : ACT UP-Philadelphia, American Medical Student 
Association, Health GAP, Knowledge Ecology International
France : Act Up-Paris, Aides, Avocats pour la santé dans le Monde, 
Coalition PLUS, Solidarité Sida
Marocco : ALCS Maroc
Switzerland : Global Health Advocates