[HEALTHGAP] Sign-on letter: Support Colombia compulsory license request for l/r (Kaletra)

Dear Colleagues,

On July 16, Colombian NGOs filed requests for an open compulsory  license on AIDS drug lopinavir / ritonavir with the Colombian government. An open license would permit generic competition with Abbott's patented product Kaletra. Generic lopinavir/ritonavir is available in many countries at prices significantly less than half what Abbott charges Colombia's public health sector (and five times less what Abbott charges Colombia's private sector). An open license would save patients and health programs money and facilitate access to an important AIDS medicine.

The health NGOs' compulsory license request comes more than three months after the same groups requested an open license directly from Abbott Laboratories. To date, Abbott has not responded to the groups' request.

More information is available here: http://www.essentialaction.org/access/index.php?/archives/166-Colombia-Health-Organizations-file-for-compulsory-license-on- lopinavirritonavir.html

Essential Action is collecting signatures in support of the license request. If you would like to sign on, please send your organization's name (or your name and organizational affiliation, if any, if you would like to sign on as an individual), your mailing address and email address to < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >. The deadline for sign- ons is Tuesday, August 5, 2008.

Thank you,
Peter Maybarduk
Essential Action
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