Activists File Lawsuits Challenging Patents On Hepatitis C Medicines; Similar Strategy Used To Expand Access To HIV Drugs
Nature: Hepatitis C drugs re-energize global fight over patents
“The liver disease hepatitis C is the new battleground for lawsuits intended to slash the cost of life-saving medicines. … In the 2000s, successful challenges to patents on HIV drugs gave poor nations access to high-quality ‘generic’ copies of the medications at rock-bottom prices. Now, buoyed by that success, activists are applying the same strategy to a fresh wave of hepatitis C drugs. They note that the standard 12-week course of treatment costs more than the average annual salary for millions of people in middle-income countries…” (Maxmen, 3/1).
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