Aids Policy and Pharmaceutical Patents: Brazil's Strategy to Safeguard Public Health

Abstract

Developing nations are challenged to strike a balance between their patent obligations as members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and their drug pricing strategies. The Brazilian approach to pharmaceutical price negotiations has been strikingly effective. Describing the context of the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector, their public health system and the Brazilian AIDS policy, this paper examines the Brazilian strategy vis-a-vis the international pharmaceutical manufacturers to explore why their tactics were successful and the potential for wider application by other developing countries.