The global burden of disease is shifting from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization. As populations age in middle- and low-income countries over the next 25 years, the proportion of deaths due to non-communicable diseases will rise significantly. This trend will be accompanied by large declines in mortality from the main infectious diseases, including HIV, diarrhea, tuberculosis and malaria.

A recent report [1] from the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) reveals a significant increase in the number of patent filings originating from China, India and the Republic of Korea between 2000 and 2006. This activity is driving a global increase of 4.9 per cent in patent activity (for all industry sectors). The average annual increase of patent activity in these countries was far above that of all reported European and North American countries. Patent offices in other emerging countries, such as Brazil and Mexico, also noted increased levels of activity.

India was identified as a leader in patenting activity in the pharmaceutical sector – they ranked first in a global index which measures a country’s R&D strength in a particular field of technology. The Relative Specialization Index (RSI) is a population-adjusted index which compares the number of patents originating from a given country (and filed in at least one overseas market) in a specific technology to the total number of patents in all areas.

Government policies surrounding the pricing and reimbursement of prescription drugs in Canada do not produce lower costs for Canadians compared to Americans. Despite major differences between the Canadian and American healthcare systems, the results of a recent study[1] show that consumers in both countries are spending the same percentage of their incomes on prescription drugs.

The price of generic drugs in Canada is more than double U.S. prices for identical drugs, while brand-name drugs are comparatively cheaper. In currency-equivalent terms, Canadian retail prices for brand-name pharmaceuticals decreased slightly between 2003 and 2007. In the same time frame, generic drug prices in Canada increased by 34% compared to U.S. prices. 

Recently released mid-year intellectual property rights seizure statistics reveal that the value of counterfeit pharmaceuticals seized has increased by 660 percent in the past year. While China was the source of over 80 percent of U.S. Customs and Border Protection product seizure last year, the other top 5 leading sources of seized products are Pakistan, Egypt, Hong Kong and Taiwan.