South Korean activists and the international HIV/aids community
is 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 would rather not supply the drug to patients than to cut its prices. Big pharma greed is limitless and shameless.
As people living with AIDS, fighting for our lives, we, south korean and international HIV/aids activists calls on all people across the world, to join the South Korean campaign against Roche's aggressive drug pricing policies (oct 1-7 2008).
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. It suffices to say that Roche does not need to be pitied.
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.
We believe that the very inhumane actions by the Roche would affect the whole people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. If we cannot stop this kind of greedy actions by Roche, every people living with HIV/AIDS will face the same situation. This is why we should do joint actions on the international level.
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).
COMPULSORY LICENCING = LIFE
