Efforts to reform trade policy on intellectual property that limits access to medicine

US trade policy promotes strong intellectual property protection that benefits brand name pharmaceutical companies at the expense of consumers. This significantly raises prices and severely limits access to medicine in many low and middle income nations. Trade policy also seeks to limit price negotiations in developed countries by applying standards which - if applied to the United States - would prevent Medicaid from negotiating drug discounts it relies on to provide medicines for low income Americans. Throughout 2010, public health advocates will reach out to the Obama administration to urge changes in these trade policies. We will make a formal submission to the US Trade Representative in February, testify at executive-branch hearings in March, hold Capitol Hill briefings in the Spring and remain engaged with the executive and legislative branches throughout the year. This paper will briefly describe the problematic aspects of trade policy and suggest further materials for those who want a deeper analysis. It will describe the efforts of public health groups to change policy, describe the results of our actions to date, and suggest ways forward for further advocacy to reform US trade policy and increase access to medicines.