The Bill of “Compulsory License” for Patented Medicine will be Enforced.

In order to prevent bird flu from jeopardizing Taiwanese citizens’ security of life, Bureau of Foreign Trade recently held the inter-ministerial negotiation meeting to propose to amend the bill of “Compulsory License for Other Countries’ Manufacture of Patented Medicine”, so as to enable Taiwanese pharmaceutical manufacturers to legally obtain the right of manufacturing foreign patented medicine and vaccines at lower costs.

The participants of the said meeting indicate that Bureau of Foreign Trade has held meetings many times, deliberating whether Taiwanese government, by following the formal decision made by WTO last August, amends the relevant laws and regulation to enable the government to license the local pharmaceutical manufacturers to directly obtain the right of manufacturing the patented medicine against epidemics that jeopardize people’s security of life under the premise of exorbitant prices of patented medicine.(2004.01)

CYJ/CCS