We, the undersigned, demand from our governments policies that treat pharmaceuticals as global public goods and limit the power of pharmaceutical companies in the public interest; a policy that is geared to the health needs of the people.
Patents guarantee profits. And kill people.
Patents protect property. But when it comes to medicines, they kill: Excessively high prices and structural barriers are responsable for millions of deaths every year caused by treatable diseases such as diabetes and tuberculosis. This is the reason why we are calling with #patentskill for the remocal of patent protection on all essential medicines.
Unfair patent system vs global solidarity.
2020 reveals again how much of the world lacks solidarity. Vaccination doses are reserved by rich countries, masks and respiratory equipment stockpiled. And the Global South will be left empty-handed. While thze patent system continues to focus on profit maximization instead of fair healthcare. We demand with #patentskill: Change the system now!
Patents are expensive. Yet they are unfair.
Do you know what evergreening is? Sounds nice, but it's an extremely unfair strategy to extend the 20-year patent protection of medicines. Simply changing the route of administration, playing around with the molecule a bit or finding a new indication and the protection is extended. This way, companies can continue to charge high prices. #patentskill
