The US Government has struck a deal with Bayer to buy ciprofloxacin tablets to treat millions of people who may be infected with anthrax. This will not end the debate on whether and in what circumstances governments should be able to override patents on essential medicines.
The US is not alone in having an interest in ensuring treatments or preventative methods are available to its citizens in emergencies arising from bioterrorism. Health services throughout the world are being forced to tackle this problem, which has become urgent because of the war in Afghanistan. The European Commission and pharmaceutical companies met in Brussels two weeks ago to discuss the production and distribution strategy of essential medicines.
