Do u support the prohibition of manufacture of low-cost generic drugs?

The legislation has implemented law prohibiting copy of patented drugs, which was protested in New Delhi by patients and members of 'Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS'
Despite of strong criticism the legislation would prohibit the manufacture of low-cost generic drugs.
In there war with AIDS, it seems that the so called supporters have turned there back, leaving behind those HIV victims at there own!
and that too just to capitalise there riches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This question is tougher than at first appears. It is not simply an issue of whether large pharmeceutical companies which develop the original drugs will be allowed to "profit from them". That might be a legitimate question of "fairness vs. need" and how we balance the two.

But leaving that aside for a moment -- the push for making generic drugs available quickly has the potential to throttle the development of NEW drugs. Although it is true that the MANUFACTURE of these drugs, once developed, is not very expensive (which is what makes the whole generic drug thing possible), the problem is figuring out what to do about the enormous costs of research and development, and the long expensive proces of testingand getting governmental approval to market the original drugs.

If people with the very best intentions push to quickly bring generic drugs to market, ignoring the question of how the pharmeceutical companies are going to recoup those enormous costs what happens then? Well, these companies will very likely do what any sensible busieness would do -- STOP developing and making things they'll end up netting little or even losing money on. Result? The drugs are NOT developed and nothing is available, original or generic.

(In other words, it's not just a question of being "fair" to the companies. It's a question of making sure you do not remove the incentives for them to DEVELOP the drugs you want them to! And be careful about criticizing a business for wanting to MAKE money rather than lose it. Remember, if they stop making money, they stop DOING business, and their product disappears. . . or there are at least fewer who make such products, the supply goes down and the price goes up!)

I'm not saying we should PROHIBIT the making of low-cost generic drugs, but there does need to be a way to make sure those who are developing the drugs keep on doing so! And that likely will include some limitations on generics (how soon they can be sold, etc).

Perhaps licensing/royalty fees of some sort may help with this. (This will make the generic drugs cost more, but should still be far less than the original.) Another possible solution is to streamline the approval process, at least for the types of drugs you must urgently need and want to sell generics of. This has some risks and tradeoffs -- easier approval risks incomplete testing and more unexpected serious side effects. In that case (if you decide the benefit is worth the increased risk) you must also provide SOME sort of protection to the pharmeceutical companies against LAWSUITS.

(Incidentally, we have a recent "test case" of what happens when governments ARTIFICIALLY keep prices down, and at the same time offer NO real protection from lawsuits -- in short, making it not worth the risk for the companies. Precisely this sort of thing happened to U.S. vaccine makers in the 1990s as a result of a well-intended but misguided proposal by Hillary Clinton. The U.S. makers simply started getting out of the business. Result is that we are NOT well-equipped to deal with a major outbreak of ordinary flu. .. or of the avian flu if it should happen.)

I believe we have a responsibility to find generic alternatives to name brand drugs. The company that invented the drug in the first place has a right to make a profit on there investment as well. So it might be fair to not allow the development of a generic drug 5 or 7 years after the release of the name brand drug allowing the originator the first crack at making the generic alternative.

No

I support the prohibition of manufacture of low-cost generic drugs! I also support masturbation and other healthy sexual practices! Make love not war!!