{
  "id": "RL31066",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL31066",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
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    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 100486,
      "date": "2001-07-27",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:22:05.381941",
      "title": "HIV/AIDS Drugs, Patents and the TRIPS Agreement: Issues and Options",
      "summary": "AIDS (\"Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome\") is a serious medical condition that\npredisposes\npatients towards opportunistic infections, tumors, dementia and death. Human Immunodeficiency\nVirus (\"HIV\") is the viral agent associated with AIDS. HIV/AIDS remains a leading cause of death\nin the United States. Exposure rates in some other parts of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa,\nsubstantially exceed those in the United States. The global HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a severe\nimpact upon many states within the developing world, and future social and economic consequences\ncould be devastating.\n Recently introduced antiretroviral drugs have reduced the number of deaths caused by\nHIV/AIDS. These medicines can keep HIV from replicating and causing further damage to the\nimmune system. Although the cost of an annual supply of different HIV/AIDS drugs varies. The\nprices of these drugs are beyond the ability of most residents of the developing world to pay. \nBecause some HIV/AIDS drugs are subject to patent protection, others may not manufacture these\ndrugs without the permission of the patent owner.\n International disagreement has arisen regarding patents on HIV/AIDS drugs. Until recently,\nmany nations did not allow patents to issue on pharmaceuticals. However, one component of the\nWorld Trade Organization agreements, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual\nProperty Rights (the \"TRIPS Agreement\"), requires member states to grant pharmaceutical patents. \nDemand for increased availability of HIV/AIDS drugs has led to perceived conflicts with this TRIPS\nAgreement obligation. Although patent disputes concerning Brazil and South Africa have recently\nbeen resolved, a fundamental conflict persists between the goals of providing broad access to\nHIV/AIDS drugs, on one hand, and maintaining an environment conducive to pharmaceutical\nresearch and development, on the other.\n Legislation has been introduced in the 107th Congress relating to the availability of drugs for\ntreating HIV/AIDS. These and other options for dealing with this issue are discussed. Other options\ninclude: providing the U.S. Trade Representative with policy guidance that balances TRIPS\nAgreement compliance with the availability of HIV/AIDS drugs; encouraging the differential pricing\nof HIV/AIDS drugs in the developed and developing world; promoting market-based solutions, such\nas a global settlement between entrepreneurial pharmaceutical companies and nations seeking greater\naccess to HIV/AIDS drugs; and offering humanitarian aid to the recently announced United Nations\nglobal fund for fighting HIV/AIDS.",
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      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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}