Joint Letter of Korean NGOs to the Norvatis

Jan 29, 2007

Daniel Vasella, MD

CEO, Norvatis

Postfach CH-4002,

Basel, Switzerland

Re : Norvatis' legal action in India on the Patent Law

Dear Sir

On behalf of the 27 Korean NGOs, I am writing to express our concerns regarding the legal proceedings that Norvatis initiated in India in May 2006, challenging the rejection of its patent application for imatinib mesylate (Gleevec/Glivec) as well as questioning the compliance of the Indian Patents Act with the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS).

This action contradicts the WTO Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health that states that "...the Agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of WTO Members' right to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all"

As you may know, more than half of the medicines currently used for AIDS treatment in developing countries come from India. India is such an important source for poor patients in the developing countries.

If India changes its patent laws to resemble in wealthy countries, India will no longer be able to supply the developing world with cheap essential medicines. And it means exactly death to thousands of hundreds patients.

We believe that People's right to health and access to affordable medicine is the basic rights and should not be undermined by the interest of a certain company. And we also believe that corporation also should respect this fundamental rights of people and social accountability.

Therefore, we strongly urge you to drop the case which will drive so many patients to death. If you continue to proceed this case, your company will face a huge pressure from  patients, doctors and NGOs around the world. We will continue to fight for patients, filing oppositions for life-saving drugs on behalf of patients. We very much hope that you will accept the contents of this letter in good faith and do your utmost to resolve this matters.

We will continue to monitor closely your future actions and situation until the matters we raised are resolved.

Again, we strongly urge you to stop threatening patients and India patent law.

Thank you for your attention.

Endorsed by ;

Consolidation for Medical Consumer

Democratic Labor Party

Health Right Network

Intellectual Property Left

Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights (KFHR)

Association of Korea Doctors for Health Rights

Association of Physicians for Humanism

Korea Dentists Association for Health Society

Korea Health and Medical Workers Union

Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society

Korean Health & Medical Workers' Union

Korean Progressive Network Jinbonet

Korean Social Insurance Union

Lesbian Counseling Center in South Korea

Nanuri+, HIV/AIDS Human Rights Advocacy Group of Korea

Korean Gay Men's Human Rights Group

Public Pharmaceutical Center

Sarangbang, Group for Human Rights

Solidarity for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Human Rights of Korea

Patient Group Combination for Patient Right

Korea ankylosing Spondylitis

Korea Encephaloma Patient Group

Korea GIST Patient Group

Korea Leukemia Patient Group

Korea RCC Patient Group

People's Solidarity for Social Progress

For further information, please contact :

Chun Mun-Ho

Chairperson

Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society

3F, 26-1, Ewha-Dong, Chongro-Gu,

Seoul, South Korea (110-500)

Email) mediplex@naver.com

Website) www.pharmacist.or.kr

Tel) +82-2-523-9752

Fax) +82-2-766-6025