Drug Companies Should Be Held More Accountable for Their Human Rights Responsibilities 英文参考文献.docVIP

Editorial DrugCompaniesShouldBeHeldMoreAccountablefor TheirHumanRightsResponsibilities ThePLoSMedicineEditors* Almost ten years ago, activism and public protest resulted in a landmark victory for the access to medicines move- ment, when 39 of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies dropped their collectivelawsuitagainsttheSouthAfrican governmentforattemptingtolegalizethe importationofcheapergenericversionsof drugs[1].Followingasettlement,medica- tionprices—including thoseforantiretro- virals to treat the millions of South Africans with HIV/AIDS—dropped, and public pressure on the pharmaceutical industrywashailedasuccess[2].Adecade later it’s time again for action—to hold drug companies accountable for their human rights responsibilities to make medicinesavailableandaccessibletothose inneed. uponanextensiveandconsultativeprocess with multiple stakeholders—include re- sponsibilities for transparency, manage- ment,monitoringandaccountability,pric- ing, and ethical marketing. They identify best practice as including access to med- icines, differential pricing between and within countries, commercial voluntary licensingthatallowsfortheproductionof cheapergenerics,investmentintoresearch and development (RD) of neglected diseases, and engagement in public–pri- vate partnerships. The Guidelines also recommend against lobbying for more protection in intellectual property laws, applying for patents for trivial modifica- tions of existing medicines, inappropriate drug promotion, and excessive pricing. Indeed,amostnotableaspectoftheHunt Report is its revelation that many of the obstaclesStatesfaceindeliveringtheright to health to their citizens are created by theseverydrugcompanypractices[7]. ThechiefpropositionintheGuidelines is that pharmaceutical companies, by virtue of being granted by society the monopoly and power to develop medi- cines, hold that power (the patent) with express conditions. And these conditions include human rights responsibilities to make