8 October 2015 - Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, with support from the Greens and Australian public health groups, was apparently "under pressure not to cave in the US on data exclusivity on biologics" in the just completed round of Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. In fact, according to the AFR he "stared down the US on big Pharma".

Mr Robb presented himself as fighting for the Australian public health care system by holding firm in an intellectual property battle against big greedy US pharmaceutical companies who want provisions that will cost sick Australians hundreds of millions of dollars. The media optics are clear about who is on the side of good and who is on the side of evil in this fight.

But biologics are extraordinarily expensive, difficult and risky to make. All the huge costs are upfront, with very small marginal costs. The spectacular economics of a few blockbuster drugs need to be set against the enormous costs, and often losses, of the many stages of testing and developing safe and effective new biologics.

For more details, go to: http://www.afr.com/opinion/dont-complain-about-tpp-pharmaceuticals-we-already-free-ride-off-us-consumers-20151005-gk1xkg