By Todd Seavey
Posted: Monday, April 30, 2007

LETTER
Publication Date: April 30, 2007

This letter originally appeared in the April 30, 2007 Wall Street Journal:

Contrary to the assertions of the Thai government and Doctors Without Borders ("Thai Showdown Spotlights Threat to Drug Patents," April 24, page one), violating drug companies' patents and making knock-offs of their drugs is not in the long-term best interest of patients. Just as letting people shoplift today can drive stores out of business tomorrow -- and just as price controls make customers happy for a day but produce long-term shortages -- so too do patent violations gut the incentive to invest millions in researching the even better drugs of tomorrow.

Why would we expect profit-driven companies to do all the work of creating new drugs if governments are just going to steal them anyway, in complete violation of international patent agreements (which already include public health crisis escape clauses)? Economically and scientifically ignorant moves like this could shrivel or destroy the pharmaceutical industry, and that will not make the Thais or anyone else healthier in the future.


Todd Seavey
Director of Publications
American Council on Science and Health
New York

 

See also: Discussion of this letter on HealthBusinessBlog, and ACSH's condensed report on Counterfeit Drugs: Coming Soon to a Pharmacy Near You.