Patent barriers to medicine access in South Africa: A case for patent law reform

In this report, published by the Fix the Patent Laws campaign, of which MSF is a member, nine case studies are presented that demonstrate how systemic shortcomings in South Africa’s patent laws negatively impact on access to medicines to treat a wide range of diseases in both the public and private sectors.

The case studies illustrate how a flawed system can allow pharmaceutical companies to prolong their monopoly periods in South Africa for years – and sometimes even decades – after their patent protections have expired in other parts of the world, to the detriment of millions of patients.

To improve affordability and accessibility of medicines for these patients, and for all people living in South Africa, patent law reform is urgently needed.