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The Struggle of Leukemia patients and the Korean Federation of Activists Fighting for Health Rights(KFHR) against Transnational Corporation, Novartis
Life First Before Making Profit!
Cut the Price of Gleevec!
 The Ministry of Health and Welfare should void the retail price of 23,045 won (about 20 USD) per pill and stop benefiting the patent right of the drug companies only!
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For the world that respect lives instead of patent rights, the leukemia patients' group and Gleevec Joint Committee receive our full support on their sit-down strike.
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| Patents and Profit: Gleevec Price Talks Break Down |
The government should exercise their rights, as other countries have, and allow generic versions of Gleevec to be imported. The Indian pharmaceutical companies want to start selling their medications, and Korean patients want to buy them. Second, people can start a joint movement to remind the government that it should protect people according to health laws, not patent laws.
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| Novartis's stubborn Gleevec price means death to patients |
Only by this kind of public support was Novartis able to recollect all invested capital within eight months of global marketing of Gleevec. But now, Novartis has twenty years of intellectual property rights.
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Glivec--a wonder drug only for the rich |
Leukemia patients suffer from what was recently an incurable disease. Very few have been able to prolong their life beyond the threshold of death, but now there is a new medicine called "Glivac." However, only a chosen few can purchase the new drug because it is extremely expensive.
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- Struggle Video Collection -
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 [Feb. 6th, 2003] Leukemia patients and the Korean Federation of Activists Fighting for Health Rights(KFHR) occupied the office of Novartis and coninued to sit in with requesting to reduce the price of Gleevec
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 [February 5th, 2002] Leukemia patients and the Korean Federation of Activists Fighting for Health Rights(KFHR) are continuing their demand to reduce the price of Gleevec. On January 30, they took coercive measures regarding the new anti-Leukemia drug. And on February 5, they criticized Novartis, the makers of Gleevec, and demanded that the South Korean government take coercive measures on the South Korean-branch of Novartis. The activists emphasize, "Life before profits."
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 [June 27th, 2002] On July 27, the Joint Committee For Solving the Gleevec Problem and Improving Public Health Care, and the Committee for Chronic Leukemia Patients held a press conference in front of the South Korean-branch of the Novartis Corporation. They stated, "We are protesting against the South Korean government for setting a price for Gleevec that is equal to prices in seven developed countries. Their decision has no regard for life and the human rights of leukemia patients".
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