TOPIC:

Sir has some good points. I have never actively "helped" people in the U.S. source from India other than through REDEMPTION. There were just too many suppliers coming on board too fast for me to feel comfortable doing so. Now, I realize many probably have non-REDEMTPTION meds whose status is in question.
Let's hope for a quick and satisfactory end to this mess for their sakes.
M

Sirchinenge wrote: I think the only advice you can give is for them to wait a few days till we see how customs in
India intends to deal with the medication they are hanging on too.

As Mike said, FixHepC has the ability to source from multiple countries anyone who is in Redemption
is fine, I know that's not great for anyone else who is waiting till we know more from there everyone
will have to have some faith.

Bang on the money Sir!
Its easy for speculation in these circumstances however I have a feeling that this will be sorted soon and the meds will be on their way again soon.

Ariel - yes I agree about the fear on the facebook page and you can see it creating a monster in peoples heads. As more information becomes available Im sure someone with some authority will post to help ease fear and tension.

Bad news indeed!

This situation was my fear last year. That Big Pharma will not allow licensed generics to leave India.
So I decided to buy Twinvir directly from Incepta as soon as possible.
Maybe this custom situation in India is only temporary.
Many people are waiting for licensed Indian generics! I know that is hard to wait longer after deciding to buy the medication.

But hopefully Chinese API are available for everyone who wants to be hep C free!

Twinvir directly from Incepta cost what?

Greg has just posted in relation to this news - I have copied his post below its good news.


Now the dust is settling the news is the Fed Ex and DHL are refusing to ship but we can still use EMS, express air mail. A bit slower but still gets there

and here is another post from Greg

So the news is that Fed Ex and DHL are refusing to accept any generic medicines.
However whilst this is very annoying it is ultimately just inconvenient. WE can still send from India using the postal services. We can still send from Australia and we can still send from Bangladesh.
Sending by DHL from India was the best option but not the only option and we have been using Air Mail to send to a number of countries already so the medicines flow will continue, just a little slower in Transit smile emoticon

My post earlier about India trying to enter into RCEP was just trying to shed some light as to why this action has been taken.

Hopefully I am wrong, and shipments will continue. I tried to find an article I read about Gilead's strategy in India, but don't seem to be able to find it. Gilead's strategy in allowing Indian companies to produce the meds was to allow the truly poor of the world to access meds, but also to be able to keep control of exports to "rich" countries like USA. Gilead requires an Indian doctor to issue an RX for a reason; apparently they are able to get information about the country of origin of the buyer, so that they can see if a reseller is exporting where they should not be and then contact the manufacturer to have them cut off from supply. I'm sure bulk exports to the 91 countries Gilead deems poor will continue.

This direct intervention by the Indian customs is an escalation in strategy, or perhaps based on the RCEP agreement, as the countries in RCEP overlap TPP countries, with some in both agreements. So the requirements may be similar concerning trade.

Gilead will accept medical tourism to India; it will still be possible to travel to India and get an RX and meds there. Obviously, that is much more expensive and bothersome.

Tommy I sent you a PM

Hi everyone, I find it interesting that other meds, ie Redemption ones are getting delivered. Maybe the amount of sellers has become a safety concern to the authorities and they are trying to keep an eye on things. It wouldn't look good on India if they were not seen to have at least some controls in place maybe, eg legitimate sellers, prescriptions and that kind of thing? It would only take one thing to go wrong and it could throw their whole stance on patents / access to meds up in the air and subsequently sick patients could suffer in the future.

Also, maybe the international courrier services are tightening up on rules too? I suspect big pharma wouldn't have to do much except sit back with grins on their faces as the whole thing collapses due to some parties breaking Indian law and not doing things properly. Who would suffer in the end? Those untreated.

As I have said before, I personally chose to go through Redemption / MonkMed because there is an official trial, paperwork all done correctly and legally. This also gave my NHS Drs the extra confidence to support me by way of monitoring, when for many of us, the cost of private monitoring is totally prohobitative, especially in the UK. If the big picture is, to help poor people get access to life saving medicines, then I feel collectively, maybe we should all think about how not to jeopodise all the good work that has been done this far. If this sounds really 'preachy' - I don't mean it that way, I know so many hearts are so totally in the right place, but maybe food for thought?

I really feel for those people whose meds are caught up or delayed, it must be very distressing, I will never forget the feeling of hope when I followed my own little parcel across the world by way of FedEx tracking.

I am not on the Facebook thing, but would again advise those who are freaking out, to seek medications through a trusted reliable source who make sure all the relevant paperwork and legalities are in order. after all, It's not expensive to get a prescription any more, although quality shipping is a little more!

(edit) and as an added thought, to show respect towards one of the countries that have made our own access to medicines possible at all.

Tommy wrote: Twinvir directly from Incepta cost what?

Hi Tommy,
At that time I was afraid that it is possible for customs, on the way to my home, to retain/not to deliver the medication.
Twinvir directly from Incepta, it costs 1000 USD for 12 weeks. People at Incepta were very helpful. I was not alone, we were three companions, the other two were for the third time there buying Twinvir, so they knew well every step to fallow!
Bangladesh is a pour country and as Greg sad is 'India on steroids'
The airplane tickets, visa and accommodation and don' t forget tips every time you need something ! It just added some money! It was a three days tiring journey with emotions at customs. But all was forgotten when I arrive home with the precious medicine!
It is not easy with money but is not impossible. Worth every penny the hope to be healthy again!

Now I know that is possible to deliver the medicine at your door, no need to fly to Bangladesh.
But in that moment it seemed the best option.
Good luck to all of you to be virus hep C free again!

My understanding of Gilead's Indian agreement was to allow patients who lived in countries
with low incomes had access to these drugs part of the same agreement would be they don't
sell to Europeans or Americans via shipping. I think I recall at one point they wanted to restrict
anyone from outside India traveling to India to also be restricted that fell by the wayside.

The trials are researching generics and as such don't fall into the legal agreements
I mentioned above-its not a shock that Gilead would try and stop this via pressure on
customs in India.

Obviously, I don't agree at all with any restrictions am simply putting forth the reasons why I think
this is occurring, I don't think anything they do will stop leakage its too late for that now.

Too much money to be made. Capitalism will prevail.

I WROTE IF ONE PORT IS CLOSED ANOTHER is open. So no Chennai than its Mumbai just a matter of time

Hi folks,

It is indeed a concern if it is really true that DHL and Fedex have decided to stop shipping life-saving medicines out of India...

Let's not forget that Gilead have signed voluntary contracts only with a number of generic manufacturers in India (probably the contract has been posted on FixHepC before, but here is a link to the KEI page where anyone interested can find the actual text: keionline.org/node/2082). Gilead do not have a contract with the Indian government or with the Indian Board of Excise and Customs. Gilead do not hold a patent for Sofosbuvir in India because the Indian Patent Office basically told Gilead to get lost and not come back until they could come up with some genuinely novel molecules. So any company in India that wants to do so can legally manufacture and distribute Sofosbuvir as long as it complies with the usual national health and safety regulations ... and NOT with any murderous restrictions that Gilead might have slipped into its contract.

As far as I can see, Gilead should have absolutely no say in what Indian Customs Services might decide to do or not do. That is a matter for the Indian Government and for the Indian Government alone.

So I have two questions.

1. Have DHL and Fedex stopped shipping ALL medications out of India, or have they suddenly become "selective" and have they decided to stop only hepatitis C medications?

2. Who owns DHL and Fedex anyway? Obviously, they are american companies... But who do their bosses play golf with?

Good points V!
Like I say: Follow the money. I am still not certain what is happening in India. Seems there are conflicting reports. It just seems odd that FedEx AND DHL would both stop handling these shipments at the same time in the same country. As far as I know, FedEx and DHL have been shipping products from other source countries far longer than India and continue to do so.
M

Yes, it seems the real facts are not in yet.

Its no doubt perfectly normal for national customs agencies to inspect parcels from time to time. But did DHL and Fedex really just return the packages to sender?

If this is the case, I can't help feeling that if Gilead are behind it, it would be a major banana slip for them. Either way, major banana slip for DHL and Fedex... But if that really is the case, then of course as soon as it is proved, everyone should be contacting President Obama, Hilary Clinton, Senators Wyden and Grassley, CBS, etc. to really give this dirty washing some air-time...