MOSCOW, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - The United States is creating obstacles for the affordable access to vital drugs, such as cancer medication, WikiLeaks reported Thursday.
"The United States [is] pushing for measures that would significantly constrain affordable access to vital generic drugs, such as cancer drugs," WikiLeaks said, citing Japan as the closest US ally in the initiative.
The United States has reportedly come forth with a document that will force Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) states, of which there are 11 others, to enforce a monopoly period of up to 12 years for producers of pharmaceutical drugs.
"This will mean patients needing these drugs will remain with hugely expensive legal bills for years to come. These costs are also generally unattainable for citizens in the developing countries in the TPP," the WikiLeaks press release said.
The TPP aims at significantly reducing the ability of manufacturers to create more affordable drugs and increasing pharmaceutical companies' ability to retain monopolies. However, Latin American and Asian countries, with the exception of Japan, oppose the proposals.
Should the United States succeed in securing a 12-year monopoly period, it will signify the reneging of the Obama administration on its promise to make cancer drugs affordable. The US government has previously said it would work toward reducing the monopoly period for pharmaceutical companies on their drugs from 12 to 7 years.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement that the United States is negotiating with 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
