IP bill good Australian response to global health

New legislation implementing the ‘TRIPS Protocol’ will give Australian companies the ability to help respond to future health crises in less developed countries Medicines Australia Chief Executive Dr Brendan Shaw said today.

“Medicines Australia strongly supports the implementation of the TRIPS Protocol in Australia,” Dr Shaw said.

The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill 2013, which was introduced in Parliament last month, contains provisions that would allow third parties to seek a compulsory license from the Federal Court to manufacture patented medicines for export to developing countries facing health emergencies.

“Medicines Australia, its members, and other stakeholders worked closely with the Australian Government to design a system that would not only be consistent with the principles of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health but would also protect the rights of Australian patent holders,” Dr Shaw said.

“The global medicines industry has long been at the forefront of the effort to bring life-saving medicines to the world’s poorest. Since 2000, it has invested over $15 billion in public health programs in some of the world’s least developed countries and donated over 2 billion doses of vaccines and medicines for infectious and chronic diseases.

“It’s efforts like these which led Bill Gates to comment recently when in Australia that companies in the medicines industry are ‘good citizens’.

“The Bill also reforms other areas of Australia IP laws, including the clarification of Crown Use provision that were, again, developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders including industry.

“The Bill achieves the right balance between assisting people in developing countries to access treatments and safeguarding intellectual property to ensure new medicines and vaccines are developed for future generations.

“It’s a good example of how government, industry and stakeholders can work together to develop good policy and legislation that achieves common goals.

“I commend all sides of politics for pursuing these important reforms and delivering an outcome that will benefit patients around the world.”

-ENDS-

Contact Person:

Emma Pearson
Phone: (02) 8281 3280
Email: emma@ogilvyprhealth.com