South African R&D-based pharma industry group says it has rejected campaign against patent reform

The Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa An association (IPASA), a trade group of R&D-based drugmakers, says it has rejected an American plan relating to intellectual property to manipulate South Africa because it had been clearly inappropriate, reports the local newspaper Mail & Guardian.

South Africa is in the final stages of implementing a new law that would allow generic drugmakers to produce cut-price copies of patented medicines and make it harder for firms to register and roll over patents. The new law is expected to reduce medicine prices and open up a fledgling generic drug industry dominated by Aspen Pharmacare and Adcock Ingram, commented Reuters.

The association also said it never had any real intention to move ahead with the lobbying plan, due to be backed by US money, and that would have included manipulating international relations and setting up a front organization directed from Washington.