AIDS Drugs: Indian Parliament vs. the WTO

In the NYT: India joined the WTO in 1994, making a deal that would allow its drug manufacturers to make copycat pharmaceuticals cheaply until January 1, 2005.

Now, Indian drug manufacturers will have to stop selling copycat versions of drugs invented after 1995 (including recent AIDS 'cocktail' drugs) unless Parliament votes to exempt them. Those cheap Indian drugs have benefited Indians with AIDS, but also thousands of people fighting the disease in other countries.

Let's hope it happens.