Mike Nelson
International Communications Manager
Roche
+ 41 61 688 0236 (office)
+ 41 79 572 5165 (mobile)
Roche Statement on "Global Week of Action Against Roche."
Roche would like to provide clarification on the current status of Fuzeon® (enfuvirtide) in South Korea in response to false statements made by ACT UP Paris in its call for a "Global Week of Action Against Roche."
Roche has not received any requests from physicians or patients in South Korea regarding the availability of Fuzeon, and so we do not believe that patients in need are currently without access to the medication. However, we are engaged in pricing negotiations with the health authority of South Korea and we are convinced that we will come to a satisfactory agreement as we have in other developed countries.
We have also been engaged in discussions with local civic groups on the price regulation process because we want them to understand that Roche is committed to making Fuzeon available.
The statement being circulated by ACT UP Paris and others claimed that the Roche manager of S. Korea made offensive statements in a meeting, including "saving lives is none of our business." This is simply not true.
Roche has taken its role to improve access to HIV medicines very seriously. We seek sustainable and ethical ways to create partnerships, policies and programmes that increase access to our medicines. We supply our antiretrovirals, Invirase and Viracept, at no profit and reduced prices for people living in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), sub-Saharan Africa and low-income/lower-middle income countries.
Roche has also established transparent no patent policies for all its medicines, so intellectual property is not a barrier to access for any of our medicines in the world's LDCs. This is extended to patents on antiretrovirals in sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest and hardest hit region by HIV/AIDS.
2008.10.1
한국HIV/AIDS감염인연대‘KANOS', HIV/AIDS인권연대 나누리+(공공의약센터, 건강사회를위한약사회, 동성애자인권연대, 한국게이인권운동단체 ‘친구사이’, 인권운동사랑방), 건강사회를위한약사회, 건강세상네트워크, 건강권실현을위한보건의료단체연합(건강사회를위한약사회, 건강사회를위한치과의사회, 노동건강연대, 인도주의실천의사협의회, 참의료실현청년한의사회), 공공의약센터, 진보네트워크센터, 사회진보연대, 인권운동사랑방, 정보공유연대IPLeft, 진보신당연대회의, 한국백혈병환우회, 민주노동당, 민주노동당 성소수자 위원회 Korea HIV/AIDS Network of Solidarity | Nanuri+, HIV/AIDS Human Rights Advocacy Group of Korea | 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 | Solidarity for New Progressive Party | FOR PEOPLE PWLH GROUP, LOVE4ONE | NNHAP(Nopi Narara Hiv Aids Positive / South Korea) | Democratic Labor Party (South Korea) | Sexual Minority Committee of the Democratic Laber Party(South Korea)
Action pour l'humanisation des hopitaux( hospitals humanisation action, Cameroon) | Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) | Act up-Paris (France) | Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) | Public Personalities Against Aids Trust (Harare, Zimbabwe) | Southern Africa Treatment Access Movement (Johannesburg, RSA) | Medsin UK (UK) | Knowledge Ecology International | Initiative for Health Equity & Society | Diverse Women for Diversity | International Peoples Health Council (South Asia) | AIDS Cell, Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Sciences (India) | Federation of Medical and Sales | Representatives' Association of India (India) | People's Health Movement USA (USA) | Council for Health and Development, Inc (Philippines) | Action against Aids Germany (Germany) | People Like IUs Kolkata (India) | Southern Africa Treatment Access Movement (South Africa) | American Medical Student Association (USA & international) | Treatment Advocacy & Literacy Campaign (Zambia) | Student Global AIDS Campaign (USA) | FACE AIDS of UNC Charlotte (USA) | Phoenix PLUS (Russia) | Umunthu Foundation (Malawi) | Global Access Project(New Your, USA) | ACT UP Philadelphia signs on (Philadelphia, U.S.A) | European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG / Brussels, Belgium)