Ramaswami: UNDERMINING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE************************************************************** India is a critical producer of affordable generic medicines. India’s patent law safeguards play a key role in enabling its generic manufacturers to compete and produce medicines at affordable prices. Thanks to competition stemming from Indian generics, the price of medicines to treat diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and cancer are affordable. During Trump’s visit, India will once again face pressure to give into demands that protect the interests of US pharmaceutical corporations. Reports indicate that the US is already exerting pressure on India to revise sections of the Indian Patent Act that allow for compulsory licensing and prohibit frivolous patent applications through the tactic of ‘evergreening’. The US has also targeted India’s progressive policy on price controls on medical devices such as cardiac stents and knee implants. Acceding to this demand will allow US multinationals to fix high prices that would compromise access. The Indian government must not give into pressure that will undermine access to affordable generic medicines, devices and vaccines for people in India and across the world.