| "According to Jean-Pierre Garnier ... patents
do not have the effect of increasing prices," Phil Bloomer, head of advocacy
for Oxfam International, writes in
a Guardian
op-ed in response to an op-ed
by the GlaxoSmithKline CEO that appeared
in the Guardian on Wednesday. If this is so, "why until recently
was his company selling the antiAIDS drug Combivir
in developing countries at twice the price of a generic equivalent?," he
continues. "Does Mr. Garnier believe the central laws of economics (i.e.
higher price produces less demand)
are suspended in markets for drugs?" Bloomer asks. "For poor households,
the difference in price between patented and generic drugs is often --
quite literally -- the difference between life and death," he writes. "As
a global leader, Mr. Garnier recognizes that GSK has global responsibilities.
He has made welcome pledges to make |