Case Analysis

Life, Death and Property Rights



Case Analysis

Executive Summary

This work aims to make a general presentation about the health situation worldwide, relate this to the problem of access to medicines and both factors bind to the characteristics that typify the diversity of interests around the transnational pharmaceutical companies. The explosion in the production and marketing of medicines in recent years has made the pharmaceutical industry world leader. However, now three-quarters of the world's population have little or no chance of getting essential medicines. The current situation is unsustainable and, therefore, it is going to alternative forms of which exist today.

The compromise between regulation, intellectual property and pricing, and innovation depends on each country and the specificities of the pharmaceutical industry. Access to medicines can be combined with innovation by seven alternatives, among others, include: strengthening the public health expenditure the country's most affected by problems of access (among those poor countries less institutional network), the encouragement of public and private, to cash payment to make attractive investments in R & D for diseases that cause major havoc on the world price discrimination with market segregation, and the that owners of patents useful in global disease can choose between protection in rich countries or poor countries, but not both.

Introduction

Drugs are essential to health and survival of people. Promote access to these means respect for the right to life, guaranteed to enjoy the benefits of technological advances and recognizing the value of human health; principles recognized in numerous international treaties. This is an essential factor in achieving success in the fight against disease, and is directly related to the degree of development and efficiency of national health systems (Kalipeni, 2004). The pharmaceutical industry is dominated by large companies in industrialized countries, where 10 companies control about 59% of the world. This hegemony is reflected in its market share and control and the dynamics of the innovation process. With sales of over 600 billion dollars, the pharmaceutical industry is in continuous growth, characterized by competition based on the dependence of the products (Fredotovic, 2007).

Their competitive strength is based on research and development, which accounts for about 12% of industry revenues, the appropriation of rents by the patent system and supply chains. Moreover, the debate over intellectual property rights and their impact on access to drugs is increasingly present in the media and discussion forums on international trade. The "Agreement on Trade Ownership Trade-Related Intellectual "of the World Trade Organization (WTO) established new and higher standards of protection for intellectual property, especially in the area of patents.

This work aims to make a general presentation about the health situation worldwide, relate this to the problem of access to medicines and both factors bind to the characteristics that typify the diversity of interests around the transnational pharmaceutical companies.

Problem Identification

In recent years has greatly increased interest in the study of drug trends worldwide, the trans-nationalization of the pharmaceutical industry and the impact of multilateral trade agreements and intellectual property rights worldwide. This is due, among other factors, ...