NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, August 31, 2015

Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa's health minister, recently fired up debates on global drug policy by warning that proposed changes to Indian patent law could spell death for Africans who depend on cheap, Indian-made drugs. “We regard India as the pharmacy of the developing world,” Motsoaledi said. “They were our heroes, and if they change their laws now, we will be in big trouble in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Indian companies provide cheap generic drugs to countries across the world and account for 80 per cent of donor-funded HIV treatment — a set-up now threatened by U.S. pressure. But Big Pharma should work with Indian companies and could even benefit by doing so.