The head of The national Law Development Agency (NLDA), Enny Nurbaningsih, received delegations from Indonesia AIDS Coalition (IAC) as spokeperson for Cheap Medicine Coallition (CMC) at The National Law Development Agency’s office, Monday (16/04/2015). This meeting was initiated by CMC because of their concern on how patent rights usually limit Indonesian people access on cheap medicine and it’s relation with NLDA’s role on planning the academic paper of the Patent Bill.
In this meeting, CMC explained that patent rights has limited the existence of generic medicine (same good quality with patented medicine but cheaper in price). Patients in Indonesia have no access to generic medicine because of patented medicine existence. On this matter, NLDA has role in synchronizing Patent Bill according to the Academic Paper. CMC stated that government should not limit the definition of “Urgent National Importance” (Article 79 (d) and Article 104 verse (1)) as the ground on issuing obligatory license and as the ground for government to use patent. As for now, this “Urgent National Importance” phrase can only be used in terms of endemic and pandemic diseases and therefore can’t be used in terms of non-communicable disease (NCD)
Aditya Wardhana, IAC activist said that the government has no power over patent except by using the “government use” clause and therefore makes the people access to generic medicine is very limited. In Indonesia context, ten most deadly diseases are dominated by non-contagious diseases such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. Without generic – cheap yet qualified—medicine, the health-insurance program from the government will be overburdened.
The head of NLDA, Enny Nurbaningsih encouraged IAC and CMC to keep guarding Patent Bill legislation process, because now, the bill had already passed to the parliament. The Head of Legislation Planning Division, Tongam Renikson Silaban also encouraged every studies on the matter to be announced to public. By this, it will triggered public opinion on what urgency needs to be accomodated regarding the change of one law. (Far)