[e-drug] Multinationals out to make higher profits in developing countri

E-DRUG: Multinationals out to make higher profits in developing countries
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Dear All

I was very intrigued with nultinational companies behavior in Botswana. To name 
a few Boehringer Ingelheim, Pzifer and Sanofi have products that are innovator 
products e.g. Micardis (telmisartan - BI), Lipitor (atorvastatin - Pfizer) and 
Aprovel (irbesartan - Sanofi/BMS) registered in both South Africa and Botswana. 
However in South Africa they have a generic or exact clone e.g. Pritor 
(telmisartan - Bayer) and Aspavor (atorvastatin - Pharmacia/Pfizer) registered 
which they were forced to cater for a market that is dictated by the medical 
schemes. Medical schemes have a capping and a limit to certain medical 
conditions. The multinationals in return have registered these cheaper exact 
clones so that they can cater for this situation. But in Botswana they will not 
register these cheaper exact clones as they will lose their profit margins. The 
medical schemes and the public struggle to pay for these original medicines 
which these multinationals are very aware of, yet they will not register these 
exact clones in Botswana.

I am sure there are other countries like Namibia, Zimbabwe and other SADC 
countries are in a similar situation.

Regards,
Ajay Patel (BPharm)
Botswana