CUBA: Castro offers anti-AIDS medicines to Third World

BY NORM DIXON

President Fidel Castro on March 18 announced that Cuba has produced versions of anti-AIDS medicines patented by US drug corporations. He said Cuba was prepared to help South Africa, Brazil and other Third World countries to produce cheap "generic" versions of the life-prolonging medicines marketed by the Western pharmaceutical corporations.

Castro told a Cuban television show that Cuba is producing "those famous cocktails". He challenged the multinational pharmaceutical companies to protest. "I would like to hear a protest so I could grin from ear to ear", he said.

"We will fully support Brazil and South Africa, encouraging them to ignore US patents and produce the drugs to save the millions of lives that can be saved", Castro stated.

Washington has complained to the World Trade Organisation over a part of Brazil's patent laws that allow patents to be overridden if the Western patent-holders do not begin producing essential medicines in Brazil. Brazil's production of generic versions of the Western multinationals' brand-name medicines has allowed government-subsidised treatment for almost 100,000 people infected with HIV.

From GLW issue 442