Millions of people living in poverty depend on affordable medicines made in India. When Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis launched a legal battle to challenge India’s right to produce cheap, generic versions of medicines, half a million people - including 80,000 Oxfam supporters - voiced their opposition. And it has worked!

Can you imagine not being able to afford life-saving medicines?
In 2006, Novartis launched a court case against India, which could have made this grim prospect a terrible reality for millions of poor people. India is the ‘ pharmacy of the developing world’. Millions of people living in poverty around the world depend on Indian generic medicines for their survival.

Novartis’ legal challenge - mounted to limit competition to its own patented medicines - was a threat to people suffering from cancer, HIV and AIDS, diabetes and other diseases who are too poor to pay for them.

Half a million people around the world supported India’s right to produce affordable medicines. More than 80,000 Oxfam supporters voiced their opposition by sending emails to the CEO of Novartis. The support and attention raised this from a technical issue, to one of global and moral significance. With this decision to put patients’ rights first, India has set the course for other poor countries to stand firm under pressure from multinational drugs companies. It’s also good news that Novartis has decided not to appeal the case.

When you speak out, people listen. Thanks to everyone who supported this campaign - you've played an important role in the struggle to overcome poverty and suffering.

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Open letters

Open letter from Oxfam to Dr Vasella - (pdf, 272kb)

Open letter from Novartis - Why Novartis thinks improving patent law will benefit patients and society (pdf - 52 kB)

Oxfam’s response to Novartis - 12 February

Novartis' email to supporters

FAQ

Why does access to medicines matter ?

Video clips

Oxfam International videos on YouTube
(available in english - spanish - portuguese)

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres on YouTube
(available in english - french)

Photo galleries

Action by Oxfam International and Berne Declaration in front of the Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland - 23 November 2006 (on Bern Declaration website)

Background paper

Patents vs. patients: five years after the doha declaration (pdf - 272kb)

Medicines for Life

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Patents explained Vital drugs will be priced out of reach of poor people. Fourteen million people die from treatable diseases every year. Many of these lives could be saved if cheap drugs were available.