Editorial

Reforming South Africa’s procedures for granting patents to improve medicine access
Abstract
Adopting stricter patentability criteria, and implementing patent examination in SA, would significantly reduce the number of patents granted. Granting fewer patents will, in turn, facilitate generic competition, lower medicine prices, and ensure increased access to medicines for individuals who are currently unable to afford the treatments that they need, and for the government in its procurement of medicines for the public sector.
Authors' affiliations
Catherine Tomlinson, Médecins Sans Frontières Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa
John Ashmore, Médecins Sans Frontières Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa
Anele Yawa, Médecins Sans Frontières Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa
Julia Hill, Médecins Sans Frontières Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa
Full Text

Keywords
Cite this article
Article History
Date published: 2015-09-15
Article Views
Full text views: 985
Comments on this article
*Read our policy for posting comments here