Israel's Drug Patent Laws Slammed By US Congressman

Patent regulations in Israel are hurting both Israeli drugmakers and USconsumers because they prevent generic drug manufacturers not based in the USA from carrying out research on original products before patent protection expires, says US Congressman Charles Schumer, reported in the Jerusalem Post. Mr Schumer claims that "generic drugs have been a godsend," and notes that they can cost up to 20 times less than the patented originals.

The US (research-based) pharmaceutical industry puts pressure on the government and doctors to hinder the release of generic drugs, and the USA also puts pressure on other countries to legislate against generics, he said. He noted that Israeli drugmaker Teva, which is a major generics group, has been lobbying for a change in the patent laws.