University of California Study Finds that CAFTA Intellectual Property Rules Hinder Access to Medicines in Guatemala
September 03, 2009
A new study from the University of California concludes after rigorous analysis that the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) elevates the prices of medicines in Guatemala while removing cheaper, generic options from the market.
Guatemala is a low-income country with a domestic generic drug industry. CAFTA’s intellectual property rules affect the drug market not as much through patent protections, but through data protection (or data exclusivity), which inserts an administrative barrier to generic drugs entering the market even if there is no patent in place, providing one company with a monopoly. Not only are generics denied registration and entry into the market by CAFTA’s market protections but generics already in the market are removed.
The study looked at drugs used to treat some of the most common causes for sickness and mortality in Guatemala, including cancer, pneumonia, diabetes, and cardiac disease and stroke. The intellectual property rules in CAFTA have had a significant effect on medication costs in Guatemala, making many of them prohibitively expensive. In every case included in the study, the data-protected drug was more expensive than its generic equivalent. For example, the insulin Lantus, used to treat diabetes, costs 846 percent more than its generic equivalent. The antifungal Vfend, used to treat infections, costs 810 percent more than the generic medication.
In fact, CAFTA’s rules on intellectual property provide even stronger monopoly protections than U.S. law or the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS). Unfortunately, Guatemala is a prime example of the effects of CAFTA’s intellectual property rules and the Guatemalan people are paying the price, literally and figuratively.
For more information, see GTW’s information on CAFTA and access to medicines.
The University of California article, entitled “A Trade Agreement’s Impact on Access to Generic Drugs,” can be found here.
Guatemala is a low-income country with a domestic generic drug industry. CAFTA’s intellectual property rules affect the drug market not as much through patent protections, but through data protection (or data exclusivity), which inserts an administrative barrier to generic drugs entering the market even if there is no patent in place, providing one company with a monopoly. Not only are generics denied registration and entry into the market by CAFTA’s market protections but generics already in the market are removed.
The study looked at drugs used to treat some of the most common causes for sickness and mortality in Guatemala, including cancer, pneumonia, diabetes, and cardiac disease and stroke. The intellectual property rules in CAFTA have had a significant effect on medication costs in Guatemala, making many of them prohibitively expensive. In every case included in the study, the data-protected drug was more expensive than its generic equivalent. For example, the insulin Lantus, used to treat diabetes, costs 846 percent more than its generic equivalent. The antifungal Vfend, used to treat infections, costs 810 percent more than the generic medication.
In fact, CAFTA’s rules on intellectual property provide even stronger monopoly protections than U.S. law or the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS). Unfortunately, Guatemala is a prime example of the effects of CAFTA’s intellectual property rules and the Guatemalan people are paying the price, literally and figuratively.
For more information, see GTW’s information on CAFTA and access to medicines.
The University of California article, entitled “A Trade Agreement’s Impact on Access to Generic Drugs,” can be found here.
Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
Posted by: Dissertation Methodology | October 28, 2009 at 09:31 AM
University of California Study Finds that CAFTA Intellectual Property Rules Hinder Access is so informative post,
Posted by: economical dissertation | November 06, 2012 at 07:43 AM
I honestly never heard of CAFTA before until this. Thank you for this post, know I know how this works and why is it designed for. Great blog, keep posting!
Posted by: moved here | February 02, 2013 at 04:55 AM
Everyone should respect the rules of intellectual property! For example, everyone must respect my intellectual property right for this article https://www.pearltrees.com/nupamayo/item231609638 - which I have wrote myself!
Posted by: Tasha | February 08, 2019 at 11:03 AM