Patent Wars on AIDS Drugs

The 17-year old winner of the WSYA 2005 in the category “Development” joined forces with youth from the UK, Netherlands, India and Australia to create a dynamic, one-stop shop for information on the patent debate around HIV/AIDS drugs. “I discovered a passion for the creative power of the Internet at the age of 8 and ten years later, I find myself showcasing my project on a truly global stage, ” says Ammu. The battle in the field of medical drug research and development is weaponless, yet affects countless. It can be thought of as a conflict of interests: should preference be given to the world's pharmaceutical giants who wield their monopoly as incentives to produce more, or should countries with high rates of fatal illnesses be allowed to override patent laws in order to save lives? The global pharmaceutical industry insists that patents provide incentive to research and produce more drugs. If not for the drug companies’ monopolistic rights, it would not be worthwhile to invest in new treatments. Thus, if these companies do not produce drugs, there will be nothing over which to fight. Yet, drugs produced by these groups are costly. For people in poorer countries to access medications, they must either produce generic drugs or import such drugs from elsewhere. Both options leave them at the mercy of the large pharmaceuticals, who earnestly charge these nations with patent infringement.