Gov’t sets consultations on cheap medicines law
By Ronnel Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:52:00 07/26/2008
Filed Under: Patents, Copyright & Trademarks
MANILA, Philippines—The Intellectual Property Office, also called IP Philippines, said it would hold public consultations on the drafting of the implementing rules for the cheaper medicines law on Tuesday at its head office in Makati City.
IP Philippines Director General Adrian Cristobal Jr. said results of the consultations would consolidate participants’ recommendations in drafting the rules for enforcing Republic Act No. 9502, “An Act Providing for Cheaper and Quality Medicines.”
“We intend to gather views and comments from the different sectors that will be affected by the new law,” he said.
“Our primary purpose is to craft regulations to pave the way for the public to have access to affordable and quality medicines, maintain the patent system’s incentive for innovation, and comply with our international treaty obligations,” Cristobal added.
Section 16 of the law mandates IP Philippines to work with the Department of Health and the Bureau of Food and Drugs and to issue the implementing rules within 120 days from the law’s enactment.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the so-called “cheaper medicines bill” into law on June 6.
IP Philippines has formed a “Task Force for RA 9502,” with Cristobal as chairperson. It groups representatives of the National IP Policy Strategy, Bureau of Patents, Bureau of Legal Affairs and Bureau of Trademarks.
Cristobal said the decades-old system badly needed modernization, which IP Philippines pushed for through the cheaper medicine bill.
He said amendments to the Philippine Intellectual Property Code were consistent with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) administered by the World Trade Organization and to which the Philippines acceded.
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