Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

TRIPS and Access to Medicines in Egypt

  • Chapter
The New Political Economy of Pharmaceuticals

Part of the book series: International Political Economy Series ((IPES))

  • 476 Accesses

Abstract

Egypt became fully Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)-compliant in January 2005, when legislation enacted in 2002 came into effect. An adverse impact of TRIPS compliance on the generics drug industry in Egypt was anticipated (EIPR, 2005), but no careful analysis has been undertaken of the effects of changes in intellectual property rights (IPR) legislation. Generics producers, the patent office, the IP Office affiliated with the Ministry of Health (MOH), and experts on pharmaceutical research and development (R&D), however, appear to agree that TRIPS compliance has so far had a negligible impact on domestic generics manufacturers. This is largely the result of the good use made of the transitional period between 1995 and 2005, when drugs registered in this period were exempted from patent protection. There is, to date, little therapeutic demand for drugs newer than those already registered by the MOH. According to the Business Monitor International, ‘a maximum of 16 percent of the medicines available on the Egyptian market are patented’ (BMI, 2009, p. 15). This figure contrasts with other sources that suggest that no more than 5 per cent of drugs are patented (ADE/DOL, 2004, p. 99). But Egypt has been less successful in building R&D capacity in the pharmaceutical sector in preparation for the likely medium- and long-term impacts of TRIPS.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • A2M (2011) Open Society Foundations Public Health Program Seminar Series, Civil Society Strategy Meeting on the Future of Access to Medicines, Bangkok, 13–15 December.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdel Fadil, M. (2003) ‘The Current Crisis of the Pharmaceutical Market in Egypt,’ el azma el rahina le souq el dawaa fi misr, Information and Decision Making Support Centre, Council of Ministers Egypt, Cairo, September.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdel Fadil, M., N. El Zeini, S. Younis and M. Fadel (2003) Impact of the Implementation of the TRIPS Agreement on the Pharmaceutical Industry in Egypt, athar tatbeeq etefaqeyet trips (Cairo: Information and Decision Making Support Centre, Council of Ministers Egypt).

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdel Latif, A. (2010) ‘Egypt’s Role in the A2K Movement: An Analysis of Positions and Policies’ in N. Rizk and L. Shaver (eds) Access to Knowledge in Egypt: New Research on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development (London: Bloomsbury Academic).

    Google Scholar 

  • ADE/DOL (2004) Egypt’s Pharmaceutical Sector Survival and Development Strategy Report Incorporating Results and Conclusions of Review Activity (Egypt: Development Options Limited, Industrial Modernization Centre).

    Google Scholar 

  • Adly, H. (2010) Public Relations Manager of Amoun, interview, December. al-Hofi, N. (2011) ‘The Battle of Egyptian Interferon Rages…and the Ministry of Health is Absent’, Al-Masry al-Youm, newspaper, 21 April 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • AmCham, see American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (2006) Pharmaceutical Sector Developments in Egypt (Egypt: AmCham Egypt Business Studies and Analysis Centre).

    Google Scholar 

  • Amin, T. (2011) ‘Granted Pharmaceutical Patents in Egypt’, Initiative for Medicines, Access and Knowledge (i-Mak),http://www.i-mak.org/i-mak-blog-updates/2011/12/8/granted-pharmaceutical-patents-in-egypt.html/i-mak-blog-updates/2011/12/8/granted-pharmaceutical-patents-in-egypt.html, date accessed 29 March 2012.

  • Amin, T. (2012) Initiative for Medicines, Access and Knowledge (i-Mak), Co-founder and Director of Intellectual Property, email interview, 10 January.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badrawi, H. (2009) Judge and Assistant Minister of Justice for Parliamentary Affairs, interview, May.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahgat, H. and R. Wright (2010) ‘Access to Medicines in Egypt: A Human Rights Approach to IP, Trade and Health’ in N. Rizk and L. Shaver (eds) Access to Knowledge in Egypt: New Research on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development (London: Bloomsbury Academic).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bale, H. E. (2001) ‘Consumption and Trade in Off-Patented Medicines’, Working Paper No. 65, Commission on Macroeconomics and Health Working Paper Series, Paper No. WG 4: 3, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations,http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/m/abstract/Js18254en/, date accessed February 2012.

  • Berdissi, W. (2010) Chief Executive Director of Minapharm, interview, October.

    Google Scholar 

  • BMI, see Business Monitor International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Business Monitor International (2009) ‘Egypt Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report’, quarterly report Q4, 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • CAJ, see Court of Administrative Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chataway, J., D. Kale and D.Wield (2007) ‘The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Before and After TRIPS’, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management 19, 559–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Correa, C. M. (2011) ‘Pharmaceutical Innovation, Incremental Patenting and Compulsory Licensing’, Research Paper 41, South Centre, September,http://wwwthaidrugwatch.org/download/rp_41_pharm_complice_ccorrea.pdf, date accessed February 2012..

  • Court of Administrative Justice (2008) Decision on case no. 22218/60, Eli Lilly vs. the Legal Representative of Apex Pharma, the President of Academy of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Population and the Prime Minister, 20 December.

    Google Scholar 

  • Court of Administrative Justice (2011) Decision on case no. 5792 for the 65th Judicial Year, Department of Economic Disputes and Investment, 7th District, Cairo, 14 May 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dessouki, A. (2008) ‘Analyzing the Public Pharmaceutical Policies in Egypt’, PhD Thesis, Department of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University.

    Google Scholar 

  • EATG, see European AIDS Treatment Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (2005) ‘New Study Urges Egyptian Government to Use TRIPS Flexibilities to Protect People’s Right to Health’,http://eipr.org/en/pressrelease/2005/01/11/247/en/pressrelease/2005/01/11/247, date accessed 29 March 2012.

  • Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (2010) ‘The International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT)’, Briefing note, blog, waraqa taerifeyya— magmou’et el ‘amal el dawleya le mokafa’et ghesh wa taqleed el montagat el tebeyya,http://eipr.org/report/2010/08/15/948/report/2010/08/15/948, date accessed 14 February 2012.

  • Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (2011) ‘The Egyptian Interferon: A Scientific Debate and Necessary Regulations that Need to be Issued’, Briefing note, blog, August 2011,http://eipr.org/en/report/2011/08/21/1258/en/report/2011/08/21/1258, date accessed 14 February 2012.

  • EIPR, see Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

    Google Scholar 

  • El Ahmady, O. (2010) Head of R&D Department in the Egyptian International Pharmaceutical Industries Company (EIPICO) and former Vice Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy Ain Shams University, interview, December.

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Zanaty, F. and A. Way (2009) Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (Cairo: Ministry of Health),http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR220/FR220.pdf, date accessed 14 February 2012.

  • Eren-Vural, I. (2007) ‘Domestic Contours of Global Regulation: Understanding the Policy Changes on Pharmaceutical Patents in India and Turkey’, Review of International Political Economy 14, 105–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Aids Treatment Group (2010) ‘NGOs Concerned overWHO’s Role in “Counterfeit” Drugs, IMPACT’, 15 May, http://www.eatg.org/eatg/Global-HIV-News/Access-to-treatment/NGOs-concerned-over-WHO-s-role-in-counterfeit-drugs-IMPACT/eatg/Global-HIV-News/Access-to-treatment/NGOs-concerned-over-WHO-s-role-in-counterfeit-drugs-IMPACT, date accessed February 2012.

  • Farag, M. (2010) General Director, Pharmaceutical Compositions, Egyptian Patent Office, interview, November.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fayyad, S. (2002) ‘Health in Egypt: Current Status and Future Scenarios till the Year 2020’, Third World Forum, Middle East Office, Cairo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fayyad, S. (2007) Unpublished policy paper on Health Sector Reform in Egypt, January.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frymark, T., H. Leech, R. Mullen, T. Schooling, R. Venediktov and B. Wang (2010) ‘Evidence-Based Systematic Review: Drug-Induced Hearing Loss— Amikacin’, National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/EBSRAmikacin.pdf, date accessed 29 March 2012.

  • George, E. (2011) ‘The Human Right to Health and HIV/AIDS: South Africa and South– South Cooperation to Reframe Global Intellectual Property Principles and Promote Access to Essential Medicines’, Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 18 167–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamed, M. R. (1997) ‘Future of the Pharmaceutical Sector in Egypt’, Mustaqbal sena’aet el dawa’a fi masr wa el manteqa el arabeya.

    Google Scholar 

  • Industrial Modernisation Centre (2004) ‘Egypt’s Pharmaceutical Sector. Survival and Development. Strategy Report Incorporating Results and Conclusions of Review Activity’.http://www.imc-egypt.org/studies/FullReport/Pharmaceutical% 20Development%20Strategy_EN.pdf. date accessed 29 March 2012/studies/FullReport/Pharmaceutical%25%2020Development%20Strategy_EN.pdf.%20date%20accessed%2029%20March%202012.

  • Kadah, M. (2003) ‘Foreign Direct Investment and International Technology Transfer to Egypt’, Economic Research Forum Working Paper Series, Working Paper 317,http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/ergwpaper/0317.htm, date accessed 29 March 2012.

  • Mara, K. (2010) ‘New Resolution Gives Governments Control of WHO Work on False Medicines’, Intellectual Property Watch, 21 May, http://www.ip-watch.org/2010/05/21/new-resolution-gives-governments-control-of-who-work-on-false-medicines/, date accessed 29 March 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan,W. and R. Laing (2005) ‘Local Production of Pharmaceuticals: Industrial Policy and Access to Medicines. An Overview of Key Concepts, Issues and Opportunities for Future Research’, Health, Nutrition, and Population,World Bank Human Development Network, January 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassem, M. (2011) Research and Development Consultant, Medical Union Pharmaceuticals, interview, January 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, http://www.wipo.int/clea/en/details.jsp?id=1301, date accessed 27 February 2012.

  • Leila, R. (2007) ‘Ensuring Health Insurance’, Al Ahram Weekly Online no. 854, 19–25 July, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/854/eg8.htm, date accessed 13 February 2012.

  • Mahmoud, I. E. and S. K. Mohamed (2006) Survey of Pharmacists’ Opinions on the Availability and Price Stability of Drugs in Egypt (Egypt: Information and Decision Making Support Centre, Council of Ministers).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehanny, M. (2011) Head of the Chamber of Trade for Pharmaceutical Producers and President of the Egyptian Global Napi, interview, June 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minister of Health (1991) Ministerial Decree on Pricing of Medicines 314/1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minister of Health (2009) Decree on the Reorganization of the Rules and Procedures for the Registration of Human Pharmaceutical Preparation 296/2009, issued 28 June.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health (2004) National Drug Policy 2004–05 (Egypt: Ministry of Health).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health (2011) National Health Accounts 2008–2009 Summary of Key Findings (Egypt: USAID and the Ministry of Health).

    Google Scholar 

  • MOH, see Ministry of Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • NCD, see Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance.

    Google Scholar 

  • Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance (2011) ‘Access to Essential Medicines and Technologies for NCDs’, briefing paper, http://www.ncdalliance.org/node/3485/node/3485, date accessed 14 February 2012.

  • Peng, Xiao (2009) ‘TRIPS Agreement and Public Health Crisis in Developing Countries: Problems and Solutions’, US–China Law Review, Serial No. 51, 6(2).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfizer (2003) Submission by the Legal Representative of Pfizer Inc. and Pfizer Egypt to the Sixth Civil Circuit of the Zagazig Court of First Instance in case no. 1855/2003, Pfizer vs. Egyptian International Company for Pharmaceutical Production (EIPICO), submitted 18 June.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rostom, O. (2010) Vice President of the Egyptian International Pharmaceutical Industries Company (EIPICO), interview, November.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roulot, D., V. Bourcier, V. Grando, P. Deny, Y. Baazia, et al. (2007) ‘Epidemiological Characteristics and Response to Peg Interferon plus Ribavirin Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 4 Infection’, Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 14, 460–7, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17576387/pubmed/17576387, date accessed 14 February 2012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAC, see Supreme Administrative Court.

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Administrative Court (2004) Decision of the Supreme Administrative Court, First Circuit, appeal no. 6965/49, Apex Pharma vs. President of Academy of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Population, the Prime Minister and the Legal Representative of the Company Eli Lilly, issued 25 December.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tageldin, M. A. and M. R. Hamed (2003) ‘Pharmaceutical Policies in Egypt: Situation, Problems and Future’, Public Policy Forum Papers, 16, Public Administration Research and Consultation Centre, School of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University,http://www.parcegypt.org/english/link.php?cat_id=32andId=408andsearch_word=2003/english/link.php?cat_id=32andId=408andsearch_word=2003, date accessed 14 February 2012.

  • UNCTAD, see United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2003) Transfer of Technology for Successful Integration into the Global Economy, UNCTAD/ITE/IPC/2003/6(New York and Geneva: United Nations).

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO, see World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2006) ‘Conclusions and Recommendations of the World Health Organization Conference on Counterfeit Medicines: Declaration of Rome’, 18 February 2006, http://www.who.int/medicines/services/counterfeit/RomeDeclaration.pdf, date accessed February 2012.

  • World Health Organization (2010) Country Cooperation Strategy for WHO and Egypt: 2010–2014, EM/ARD/037/E (Cairo: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean).

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2011a) ‘The New Global Framework to Support expansion of MDR-TB services and care’, the Green Light Committee InitiativeWebsite,http://www.who.int/tb/challenges/mdr/greenlightcommittee/en/, date accessed 14 February 2012.

  • World Health Organization (2011b) Local Production for Access to Medical Products: Developing a Framework to Improve Public Health (Geneva: World Health Organization).

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization and Health Action International (2007) ‘Medicine Prices in Egypt’, unpublished report presented at the WHO and Health Action International Post-Medicine Price Survey Workshop, Cairo, January.

    Google Scholar 

  • WTO, see World Trade Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Trade Organization (1994) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), Annex 1C, Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, 15 April, http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/legal_e.htm#TRIPs/english/docs_e/legal_e/legal_e.htm#TRIPs, date accessed February 2012.

Download references

Authors
  1. Dina Iskander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University, Australia

    Hans Löfgren (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  2. Centre for Health and International Relations, Aberystwyth University, UK

    Owain David Williams (Research Fellow) (Research Fellow)

Copyright information

© 2013 Dina Iskander

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Iskander, D. (2013). TRIPS and Access to Medicines in Egypt. In: Löfgren, H., Williams, O.D. (eds) The New Political Economy of Pharmaceuticals. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137315854_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation