ONLINE PRESS BRIEFING: Updates on Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines in India-EFTA FTA Negotiations

Recent leaked text raises alarm 

Date: 14th February 2024  

Time: 12.30 PM CET/5.00 PM IST  

Link to Join: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIod-qspjspHtQv4GEOaRw5yA3sIze9FiS4 

The trade deal between India and the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) is near conclusion, according to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.  

Switzerland, home to many multinational pharmaceutical corporations and India, a key manufacturer of generic medicines, are in the final stages of negotiations on the intellectual property (IP) chapter of the EFTA Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with the aim of signing the deal before April. 

Medecins Sans Frontieres Access Campaign, Public Eye, and Delhi Network of Positive People invite you for a press briefing on the IP negotiations in the trade deal between India and EFTA and the potential implications of these negotiations on access to affordable generic medicines for people in India and beyond.  

In the current India-EFTA FTA, proposals from Switzerland include changes to India's patents and drug regulatory laws, introducing a new type of IP barrier – data exclusivity, a kind of monopoly that will prevent India’s National Drug Regulatory Authority from granting authorisation to generic versions of new medicines for a period of 6 years. This harmful proposal, if accepted, can delay access to affordable generic versions of newer lifesaving medicines for several years.  

Panelists:  

Patrick Durisch, Health Policy, Public Eye  

Mr Loon Gangte, Founder, Delhi Network of Positive People  

Ms Leena Menghaney, Global IP Advisor, MSF Access Campaign 

To confirm your attendance, please register using the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIod-qspjspHtQv4GEOaRw5yA3sIze9FiS4 

For further information or assistance, feel free to contact:  

• Lukas Nef, Media Manager, MSF Switzerland, +41 443859457  

• Runjun Dutta, Policy & Advocacy Officer, MSF Access Campaign, +91 9871800723