Campaigning GroupsUK Based
Medecins Sans Frontieres
Web: www.uk.msf.org/index.cfm?a=1
or
www.accessmed-msf.org
An international doctors charity (known as Doctors Without Borders
in the USA) which provides free medical assistance to people around
the world, and also campaigns to highlight the plight of the people
they help.
They have very successfully campaigned to improve access to
essential medicines, and are active in the UK as well as in the
developing World. Read one of their reports on this subject in pdf
format
here.
MSF London
67-74 Saffron Hill
London EC1R 5DJ
Tel: 0207 404 6600
Fax: 0207 713 5004
Oxfam
Web:
www.oxfam.org.uk/cutthecost/index.html
Oxfam is a development, relief, and campaigning organisation
dedicated to finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering
around the world. The charity works with poor communities, local
partners, volunteers, and supporters to help this become a reality.
They have been campaigning heavily to cut the cost of essential
medicines, demanding that people come before profits, highlighting
issues such as: how WTO patent rules, whether raising prices or
restricting exports of generic drugs, directly affects poorer
nations. Read one of their briefing papers on the subject, 'Priced
out of Reach'
here.
274 Banbury Road
Oxford OX2 7DZ
Tel: 01865 311 311
Save the Children
Web: www.savethechildren.org.uk
This the UK site of Save the Children, an organisation working to
create a better future for children. They are active in around 70
countries worldwide. The site includes information on current
campaigns such as the ‘Beat Poverty’ campaign.
VSO
Web:
www.vso.org.uk
VSO is an international development charity that works through
volunteers and campaigns on drug company ethical practices. Download
their report (written in conjunction with Oxfam and Save the
Children), 'Beyond Philanthropy'
here.
Information on the Drugs and Drug Trials featured in the
film
Statement from the Department of Health (DOH)
Unethical Trials and Research
There are well established systems to stop this from happening in
the UK. All research in the NHS already has to have ethical
approval from an NHS research ethics committee before it can go
ahead.
New regulations, due to come into force by May 2004, are out for
consultation. They make it a criminal offence for trials of
medicines in humans to begin in the UK without being authorised by
the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Nigeria
WHO Trovan Alert
Web:
www.who.int/
A World Health Organisation Alert regarding the drug Trovan in June
1999.
Canada
The Hospital for Sick Children – L1 Clinical Trials
Review
Web:
www.sickkids.on.ca/L1trials/default.asp
Read in full the review of the clinical trials of L1 on which Dr
Nancy Olivieri was a key researcher.
The Olivieri Report
A detailed inquiry into every aspect of the L1 trials in Toronto.
Read the full report (over 500 pages!) or just the summary at
www.caut.ca/english/issues/acadfreedom/olivieri.asp.
South Korea
Consumer Project on Technology: Glivec
Web:
www.cptech.org/ip/health/gleevec
Health care and Intellectual Property resources on Glivec from
Consumer Project on Technology.
Glivec
Web:
www.glivec.com
The international website run by the drug company Novartis on the
Leukemia drug shown in the film.
Honduras
Consumer Project on Technology: AIDS
Web: www.cptech.org/ip/health/aids
Very detailed Intellectual Property and Access to Medicine
information on AIDS from Consumer Project on Technology.
Consumer Project on Technology: Diflucan
Web:
www.cptech.org/ip/health/fluconazole
Very detailed health care and Intellectual Property resources on
Diflucan (the brand name of the drug fluconazole) from Consumer
Project on Technology.
Diflucan
Web:
www.diflucan.com
The US website run by the drug company (Pfizer) that owns one of the
drugs shown in the film.
