Why can’t the cheaper product be made available in South Africa? When Pharma Dynamics registered a generic version of Yasmin in South Africa in 2011—marketed as Ruby—it was to be available through the private sector at a price of R80.93 per pack, a 30% cost reduction from Yasmin (see table below for prices). Big Pharma doesn’t want reform, because they care more about profits than people’s lives. South Africa knows this all too well, from the many years and legal battles that were required to stop Big Pharma from enforcing patents on affordable antiretroviral medicines. It provides protection for three years with minimal side effects, and is quickly reversible, says Belinda Ally, a nursing practitioner at Clicks Gateway. Yaz contraceptive pills contain a combination of two hormones at low doses in a single pill. How could the patent laws change to promote generic competition? Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Whippany, NJ; April 2012. http://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/fhc/YAZ_PI.pdf?WT.mc_id=www.berlex.com. It contains two female hormones, a synthetic estrogen called ethinyl estradiol and a progestin called drospirenone. Like most generic products, it is cheaper than the originator product. Annual Report 2013, pg. The following case study provides a prime example of how patent evergreening, and other shortcomings of the current patent laws prevent more affordable generic medicines from coming onto the market in South Africa, and what the government can do to “Fix the Patent Laws” in order to protect public health over company profits. The use, dosage, and storage needs for Yaz and Yasmin are mostly similar. Yaz is an oral contraceptive for use by women to prevent pregnancy. Yaz - Reconnected Live Cd. If a legal battle over patents on birth control pills can prevent availability of lower-cost generic products, there is nothing to prevent the same scenario from happening with lifesaving medications for cancer, drug-resistant tuberculosis, hepatitis, or any number of medicines. The CEO of Bayer, Marijn Dekkers, has even made public statements to this effect when discussing a cancer medicine: “We did not develop this product for the Indian market, let’s be honest. January 08 2012. Retrieved from http://www.annualreport2013.bayer.com/en/bayer-annual-report-augmented-version-2013.pdfx, [7]World Intellectual Property Review. Your government and multinational companies should know that you are tired of paying too much for patented medicines in South Africa. Yaz features a lower dose of synthetic estrogen, and is a modified version of Yasmin, that was released at a later date—not a new drug. Many countries do not consider secondary patents on medicines to be innovative enough to deserve a patent. Yaz is also registered as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and for moderate acne in women who are using the pill for birth control. This means that while generics are available in the markets where most of the initial investment in drug research and development was made (namely, the U.S. and Europe), countries like South Africa continue to pay high prices while Bayer pursues patent litigation. The Pharmagate scandal shouldn’t be tolerated, and the Department of Trade and Industry needs to finalise a National Intellectual Property Policy that promotes the right to health, so that the patent laws can start to change! In January 2014, a scandal broke in the South African media, and was subsequently dubbed “Pharmagate”. The below chart further explains some of the specific differences in the three products. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Whippany, NJ; April 2012. http://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/fhc/Yasmin_PI.pdf?WT.mc_id=www.berlex.com. Within the first week of taking Yaz 28. Breast Fullness Due To Milk Production 3. Therefore I tried the mini pill instead however found this awful and made me feel depressed. But that's for another forum ; " Ziggy taken for 6 months to 1 year August 5, 2 users found this comment helpful. The pill contains the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone, which stop the ovaries from releasing eggs, thicken the cervical mucus, and stop sperm from reaching the egg. 70% of women in South Africa are on contraception, but hormonal birth control is still far from perfect, writes Pearl Boshomane"Yaz drove me crazy." Yasmin and Ruby are oral contraceptives for use by women to prevent pregnancy. Prices are for cash paying customers only and are not valid with insurance plans. The same secondary patent being upheld in South Africa has been revoked by courts in both Europe and the USA, where generic versions of DSP+EE have already available for several years. Many thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS could not access treatment due to the high cost. Retrieved from http://www.annualreport2013.bayer.com/en/bayer-annual-report-augmented-version-2013.pdfx, [6]Bayer AG. Companies often try to engage in patent “evergreening”—this means that after applying for an initial patent on a new compound used to produce a drug, they also apply in subsequent years for additional patents that cover drug combinations or small changes to a medicine. April 16 2013. Yaz is a low dose combined oral contraceptive pill and is used as an effective means of birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancy. South Africa provided a purchasing spot for another friend. This outlined a number of important reforms that would be important for improving access to more affordable medicines. 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