India urges international community to promote generic drugs
Jun 9, 2011 - 3:12:10 PM
'The international community has to dismantle barriers that obstruct universal access to treatment. A key barrier in universal access to treatment is the high cost of Anti Retro Viral medicines,' Azad said.
By IANS, [RxPG] New Delhi, June 9 - India has called upon the international community to promote generic medicine, specially for diseases like HIV and AIDS, to make treatment affordable.
Speaking at the high level meeting of the General Assembly on HIV and AIDS in New York Wednesday, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad urged the international community for lifting the 'barriers' of Intellectual Property Rights and patents from medicines.
Generic drugs are medicines which are sold without brand name, making them cheaper.
'The international community has to dismantle barriers that obstruct universal access to treatment. A key barrier in universal access to treatment is the high cost of Anti Retro Viral medicines,' Azad said.
'Pharmaceutical companies in my country have been providing high quality and affordable drugs for use not only in India but also supplying to around 200 countries. I would also like to take this opportunity to make it abundantly clear that these generic drugs are not cheap in terms of quality,' he added.
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