Nearly two decades ago, a dark cloud lifted over South Africa’s relationship with the global pharma industry. The drama started in 1998 when 39 pharma companies waged a legal battle with the South African government over a new law that would allow the country to import generic versions of branded antiretrovirals (ARVs) — the drug cocktails responsible for prolonging the lives of patients with HIV. The drugmakers argued that the law infringed on patent rights, and according to The New York Times, closed factories, canceled investments in South Africa, and sued the country’s government. But three years later, after a global public outcry and accusations that the industry was keeping South Africans from gaining affordable access to the HIV medications, the coalition of pharma companies agreed to drop the suit. When the news broke, government supporters uncorked champagne bottles and danced through the courtroom. The decision was a turning point — not just for South Africa’s patients, but also for its pharma and health care industries. Although South Africa remains at the epicenter of the global HIV pandemic, its ongoing struggles with the virus and its push to treat the millions of patients living within its borders have also helped pave the way to the country becoming a high-tech hub of pharmaceutical distribution and manufacturing. Six months after the landmark patent dispute… Click Here For Complete Article Text
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