Sanders, House Dems press USTR on Colombia license

In separate letters to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, a group of U.S. House Democrats and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) expressed concern over press reports that U.S. officials had discouraged the Colombian government from issuing a compulsory license for Glivec imatinib from Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN).

In a letter dated Thursday, Sanders and Brown said a meeting with congressional staff left Colombian officials "under the impression" that the country would lose U.S. funding for its Paz Colombia initiative if it issued a compulsory license for Glivec, and said it would be "unconscionable" to threaten to remove the funding. The Senators called on Froman to clarify publicly that compulsory licenses are permitted under international trade agreements and "a legitimate means of promoting access to medicines." ...