The Researched Medicines Industry Association (RMI) has an important role to play in representing its members’ views on Government policy, legislation and other matters open to public consultation.

Proposal for Levetiracetam

On 27th May PHARMAC publicly released a consultation document with a proposal to fund an anti-epileptic drug levetiracetam.

The processes outlined in the proposal were unprecedented and may well have constituted a breach of New Zealand's obligations and commitments under the Uruguay round of GATT and WTO's Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The RMI made a submission on the consultation document and also wrote to the Minister of Health, Minister of Trade and Medsafe regarding our concerns with this proposal.

Listed below are the background documents and the final outcome from the consultation in which PHARMAC has addressed intellectual property concerns.