Local Group Refuses to Back US-Based Generics Campaigners Source: BusinessDayLive By: Tamar Kahn Date: 28 January 2014 A LOCAL lobby group named as a potential partner by Public Affairs Engagement (PAE) in its controversial campaign against the government’s draft intellectual property policy has distanced itself from the advocacy group after receiving death threats, it said on Monday. Washington-based PAE proposed Ethicore Public Consulting, the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) and the Free Market Foundation (FMF) as partners in a R6m campaign it offered to the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa (Ipasa) to counter the government’s plans to make it easier for cheap generic medicines to enter the market. Ipasa represents research-based multinational pharmaceutical companies which hold patents on medicines. The PAE’s strategy centred on the creation of a front local organisation that would be run from the US, driving the message that strong protection for patents was vital for foreign investment and that the government’s proposals for promoting generic medicine competition with parallel importation and compulsory licences would be bad for the economy. It now appears Ethicore has become the latest casualty in the row that erupted after PAE’s proposal was leaked to the media two weeks ago. Ethicore initially felt it was not necessary or appropriate to distance itself from the campaign, but changed its mind after anonymous e-mails and phone calls threatening its staff and their families, said its spokeswoman, Wisahl Jappie. Ms Jappie said PAE had approached Ethicore. But we indicated from the outset that the campaign was totally inappropriate and not cognisant of the South African environment, she said. Ethicore had not agreed to work for PAE and was unaware it had been named in its strategy until it was leaked to the media. We hold ourselves to a code of conduct and make sure whatever we do is in the best interests of the public and goes towards advancing the priorities of government through responsible ... engagement, Ms Jappie said. Ethicore’s clients include the Banking Association of South Africa, the World Bank and the American Chamber of Commerce. FMF director Jasson Urbach said he had been surprised to find the foundation named in PAE’s leaked strategy document as their sole interaction had been an approach from the PAE to establish the foundation’s views on intellectual property. There was never any indication of a campaign, he said. We are not very happy about the way they were going about things ... and we are definitely not going to be told what to do, he said. SAIRR CE Frans Cronje said he saw no need to distance the institute from the PAE’s campaign. While aspects of it were inappropriate, the institute was very supportive of the campaign’s message, he said. The row triggered by the leaked PAE plan last week reached the World Health Organisation in Geneva, where health director-general Precious Matsoso delivered a strong statement to its executive board on Thursday. We cannot be side-tracked or derailed in our course of action of defending public health and right to life, she said. Read the original article here: bdlive.co.za/business/healthcare/2014/01/28/local-group-refuses-to-back-us-based-generics-campaigners
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:00:00 +0000