UAEM Introduces Resolution to AMA Student Section

Resolution: (A-05)

Introduced by: Emily R. Van Dyke, University of Washington School of Medicine

Subject: University Research, Intellectual Property and Access to Essential Medicines in Resource-Poor Settings
Referred to: Reference Committee, Chair

Whereas, That we are in the midst of a global health crisis in which millions of people around the world, the majority of them living in developing countries, are dying because they lack access to life-saving medications for diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria [1], and

Whereas, That life-saving antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS is available, but unaffordable prices too often prevent safe and effective treatments from reaching many populations that need them [1], and

Whereas, That AMA Policy H-110.992 Study of Actions to Control Pharmaceutical Costs states that “Our AMA will monitor the relationships between pharmaceutical benefits managers and the pharmaceutical industry and will strongly discourage arrangements that could cause a negative impact on the cost or availability of essential drugs.” (Sub. Res. 114, A-01; Reaffirmed: Res. 533, A-03.), and

Whereas, That AMA Policy H-250.988 Low Cost Drugs to Poor Countries During Times of Pandemic Health Crises states that “Our AMA (1) encourages pharmaceutical companies to provide low cost medications to countries during times of pandemic health crises; and (2) shall work with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAID, and similar organizations that provide comprehensive assistance, including health care, to poor countries in an effort to improve public health and national stability.” (Res. 402, A-02), and

Whereas, That the World Health Organization has set the goal of providing universal access to antiretroviral therapy for all those living with HIV/AIDS, declaring that “silence is not an option,” and has resolved upon the target of treating 3 million people with HIV/AIDS by 2005 [2], and

Whereas, That universities have played early and crucial roles in developing many HIV-related medicines, but still rely upon patents and licenses to private-sector pharmaceutical companies to develop and market final products; given that universities are “upstream”, they often are in a position to have early leverage over any drug that is developed and marketed, and

Whereas, That students, faculty and researchers can greatly influence university intellectual property practices and thus play an important role in increasing access to essential medicines worldwide, and

Whereas, That a clear precedent exists in which students and faculty were influential in convincing Yale University and Bristol-Meyers Squibb to announce that they would allow generic production of stavudine (d4T, a widely-used antiretroviral drug patented by Yale and licensed to Bristol-Meyers Squibb) and sharply reduce prices in developing countries [3], and

Whereas, That the result was a rapid, thirty-fold price reduction of d4T in South Africa and a subsequent agreement signed with a generic company to make generic d4T in South Africa, which was an important change was made at Yale without any negative consequences to the University – financial or otherwise. [3]

Whereas, That neglected diseases may be defined as seriously disabling or life-threatening diseases for which treatment options are inadequate or do not exist and for which drug-market potential is insufficient to attract a private sector response.

The AMA RECOGNIZES that universities, as intellectual property holders, play a crucial role in the development of new medicines and medical technologies. How they patent and license these technologies can help determine whether individuals in developing countries have access to the end products of university research.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED that our AMA will work to advance the development of treatment, prophylaxis (including vaccines), and devices for neglected diseases through encouraging universities to place a greater emphasis on supporting, reporting on, and promoting Neglected Diseases research.

RESOLVED that our AMA will urge universities to engage nontraditional partners in order to create new opportunities for Neglected Diseases drug development, including public-private partnerships, grant-making organizations, nonprofits, and developing-world research institutions.

RESOLVED, That our AMA will work with universities, students, researchers, and community members to establish norms and implement strategies and best practices to promote access to essential medicines in developing countries.

Resolved, That this resolution be forwarded to the 2005 AMA House of Delegates Annual Meeting.

REFERENCES

1. MSF. “A guide to the post-2005 world: TRIPS, R&D and access to medicines.” Available online at: http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cfm?articleid=88694E5B-0FED-434A-A21ED...

2. Jim Yong Kim. “Scaling up access to care in resource constrained settings: What is needed?” XV International AIDS Conference, Bangkok Plenary Address, 13 July 2004. Available online at http://www.who.int/3by5/plenaryspeech/en/

3. Amy Kapczynski, E Tyler Crone, and Michael Merson. Global Health and University Patents. Science: Sep 19, 2003. Vol.301, Iss. 5640; pg. 1629.