AIDS 2008-Mexico: Satellite Generics-Strengths and Weaknesses

[Guest guest]

AIDS 2008-Mexico: Official Satellite Generics-Strengths and Weaknesses

Aug.4

Peoples Health Organisation (India) a premier NGO from India in the fight

against AIDS, has been organizing Satellite meetings at the AIDS conferences

regularly since 1991, except for that of the Vancouver conference. PHO has been

one of the few NGOs championing the cause of access to ART in resource poor

settings and highlighting the strengths of Generics for over a decade.

It is pertinent to mention here that only after the aggressive stand Generic

pharma companies from India, the costs of patented ARVs came down.

Intl AIDS Conf. is an excellent forum to project the strengths and weaknesses

(if any) of the Generic ARVs. We are making sincere efforts to bring the

representatives of pharma companies – both from Generics and Patented

companies, Intellectual Property Right activists and Access activists,

clinicians, national program officers and donor agencies on one platform.

We are thankful to the organizing committee of the 17th Intl. AIDS Conference

for allocating us an official Satellite workshop on “Generics: Strengths and

Weaknessesâ€; which will be held from 7 to 8.30 am on 4th August 2008 at Skills

Building Room 3 of the Centro Banamex (Convention Centre), Mexico City.

With the general theme of the satellite “Patents versus Patientsâ€, the

following issues will be discussed:

Historic Steps in making of Generic ARVs; alternate approaches including

voluntary licensing and future of the generic industry; weaknesses; Middle path

for saving millions of human lives from

resource-poor settings;

WHO/UNAIDS goals in Improving access to ARVs; Advocacy, Policy and Legal issues;

Intellectual Property Rights and recommendations for future.

This is a fervent request for all those concerned with this issue to attend and

actively participate in the Satellite, though it is at a bit of odd timings.

This will be held in a Round-Table format and will be moderated by Dr. Hans

Jager, KIS, Munich, Germany.

Any recommendations/ suggestions on topics and resource persons are most welcome

till eleventh hour. See you on 4th August 2008 at 7 am!

Thanking you.

Sincerely yours,

Dr.I.S.Gilada, Secretary General, PHO

gilada@...; +91-22-23061616; +91-9820081566

Mexico City: Hotel Del Prado, Tel: +52 (55) 5283-3400; 01-800-902-2200

Peoples Health Organisation (India)

Municipal School Building, J.J. Hospital Compd, Mumbai-400008

Tel.91-22-23719020; Fax: -24943399; E-mail: ihoaids@...

Ref: PHO/2008/Mexico July 27, 2008