[Viva] Fwd: A life or death decision

Wed Jan 21 22:28:22 PST 2015

This petition caught my attention. Thought some of you might like to sign,
if you haven't already.
m

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*From: *"Alex Wilks - Avaaz" <avaaz at avaaz.org>
*To: *masanchez at shaw.ca
*Sent: *Wednesday, January 21, 2015 2:30:17 PM
*Subject: *A life or death decision

Dear friends,

<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_cheap_medicines_loc_/?bRpUybb&v=52024>

The US government is trying to stop *India making affordable medicines for
the people who need them most - the poor*. But when President Obama travels
to India in days, we can get him to restore hope to *millions of patients
whose lives are at risk*. Click to join!

[image: SIGN THE PETITION]
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_cheap_medicines_loc_/?bRpUybb&v=52024>
*President Obama’s visit to India in days could spell life or death for
millions of poor people* in Asia, Africa and Latin America, but if we move
fast we can ensure they can still get the medicines they need.

*India produces cheap HIV, malaria and cancer drugs, but Big Pharma wants
to stop this*, to sell their own products at higher prices. Their fierce
lobby has got the US to push their line hard, even threatening trade
sanctions if India doesn’t change patent laws which put people before
profits. Now pressure is rising with talks set to begin on an investment
treaty.

Before Obama flies, let’s* build a million-strong call to protect India’s
proud role as the pharmacy to the world’s poor,* make it a mega media story
while he is there and then deliver it with our own common sense trade plan
developed by experts that protects access to medicine. *Add your name now:*

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_cheap_medicines_loc_/?bRpUybb&v=52024

Pharma giants say India’s patent laws allow companies to undercut them,
deterring them from investing in new medicines. But *drug companies
prioritise researching drugs for the rich, not the poor, and they often
price their products sky high *-- a new hepatitis C treatment currently
sells for $1000 per pill!

At a White House breakfast last October, India's Prime Minister
Narendra Modi told Big Pharma CEOs to invest in affordable medicines,
rather than play legal games to squeeze every drop from their existing
patents. But he agreed to set up an Indo-US forum on drug patent laws, and
published* a draft policy with concessions to encourage American companies
to invest*.

President Obama boldly faced down critics to expand health care in the US,
and before he flies to India, *let’s make this the moment the US, Indian
and other governments agree to put patients before profits*. Add your name
now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_cheap_medicines_loc_/?bRpUybb&v=52024

When a giant Swiss drug company sued the Indian government over affordable
medicine for cancer patients, fifty thousand Avaazers in India and
Switzerland spoke out against the move, and the case was thrown out of
court. Now the world’s pharmacy faces a bigger threat and it’s time to take
another stand.

With hope and determination,

Alex, Bert, Laila, Ricken, Emma, Diego and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION:

Let India make cheap drugs (Business Standard)
http://www.business-standard.com/article/international/let-india-make-cheap-drugs-114121300576_1.htm...
<http://www.business-standard.com/article/international/let-india-make-cheap-drugs-114121300576_1.html>

  India-US panel: Access to medicines may be under threat (Deccan Herald)
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/450341/india-us-panel-access-medicines.html

PM's US Visit: Narendra Modi’s CEO diplomacy to soon set the cash register
ringing (Economic Times)
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-01/news/54516935_1_ajay-banga-ceos-global-investment-radar

Investment treaty tops Obama’s agenda (Business Standard)
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/investment-treaty-tops-obama-s-agenda-115012000026_1.html

Ebola in West Africa is a wake-up call (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/11/ebola-west-africa-wake-up-call-2014112125429230915.html

Novartis loses landmark patent case in India (The Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/9964953/Novartis-loses-landmark-patent-case-in-India.html

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ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way.
  Donate Now
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/donate_to_avaaz_gc/?cl=6603233263&v=52024>

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You are getting this message because you signed "48 hours to save Canadian
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