[CTC] Please help push new website TPPKills.org in next few days - highlights biologics issues from patients' perspective

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Melinda St. Louis" <mstlouis at citizen.org>
Subject: Please help push new website TPPKills.org in next few days - highlights biologics issues from patients' perspective
Date: September 24, 2015 at 11:07:14 AM EDT


Dear friends,
 
Given that the monopoly periods for biologic medicines was one of the key sticking points at the Maui ministerial, and we know that the other countries that have been standing up to USTR are under extreme pressure to cave to make a deal in Atlanta, we want to make a major push on social media to shame USTR and encourage the other countries to stand strong against 8 years of monopoly protection.  One person currently in cancer treatment dubbed it the TPP “death sentence clause”, which we think is a powerful message to be pushing out. 
 
So, a new website www.TPPkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> has been launched that features videos from patients and a petition and has preloaded tweets for each video. Many, many thanks to the activists who have provided their videos and stories. I think it is really powerful.
 
In order for this to help to build pressure so that TPP negotiators know that the world is watching, we want to use this to get this into the twittersphere and to different communities – particularly patients’ groups and others in the public health community in all  TPP countries.
 
We’ve included the twitter handles for the Ministries of Trade for the TPP countries we could dig up, if you want to tailor a message specific to any of them.  We have included some of them in these draft tweets below that can be used.
 
Please let us know your plans for  pushing this out today and in the next 6 days!  We will be organizing a specific twitter storm on September 30 as well and will send details later.
 
If you would like draft action alert language to send to lists, I am pasting a note from Zahara, an activist who is currently in cancer treatment and who plans to travel to Atlanta to bring the message from patients and survivors.  Feel free to use it or pull from it. 
 
Draft tweets:
 
We can't wait 8 yrs! @USTradeRep Drop the #TPP Death Sentence Clause: www.TPPkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> #TPPkills
 
Tell @dfat @DIRECON_CHILE @MINCETUR @SE_mx: stand strong for access to affordable medicine! Learn more: www.TPPkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> #TPPkills

We can't wait 8 yrs! @dfat @MINCETUR @DIRECON_CHILE, stay strong against @USTradeRep #TPP Death Sentence: www.TPPkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> #TPPkills
 
Urge @DIRECON_CHILE @MINCETUR @dfat to stand strong against the #TPP Death Sentence Clause! Learn more: www.TPPkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> #TPPkills
 
#TPP is a life or death issue, @dfat @MINCETUR @DIRECON_CHILE. Say NO to the Death Sentence Clause: www.TPPkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> #TPPkills
 
Twitter handles: (we will add more specific ones in coming days)
 
Australia: @dfat; @AndrewRobbMP
Canada: @CanadaFP; @HonEdFast
Chile: @DIRECON_CHILE; @HeraldoMunoz
Japan: @METI_JPN <https://twitter.com/meti_JPN>
Malaysia: @MITIMalaysia; @Mustapa_Mohamed
Mexico: @SE_mx; @JoseAMeadeK <https://twitter.com/JoseAMeadeK>
Peru: @MINCETUR
Singapore: @MTI_Sg
U.S.: @USTradeRep; @MikeFroman
+++
 
Zahara’s Action Alert
 
My name is Zahara Heckscher and I like to call myself a “cancer thriver.” I was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago. Although I am still in treatment, I have maintained a positive attitude and active lifestyle thanks in part to biologic drugs such as trastuzumab (marketed as Herceptin). These medicines have extended my life and they allow me to thrive and be there for years for my son — who just turned 10 this summer.

I have become involved in the fight against the TPP because, if passed, it could threaten access to these life-saving drugs.  Please go to www.tppkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> to learn more and take action.

Biologic medicines such as trastuzumab have extended the lives of women like me with breast cancer by years and have saved thousands of lives. Additional biologic medicines in the research pipeline offer hope to people with this type of cancer and others.

The large pharmaceutical companies are trying to influence the TPP deal so they can have long-term monopolies on these medicines and make more money. They seek a delay of at least eight years before allowing generics or biosimilars. That way they can charge up to hundreds of thousands per year by denying less expensive alternatives that could save lives.

We are calling this proposal the "death sentence clause" because it would sentence tens of thousands of people to unnecessary suffering and early death.

We need to act now to prevent the "death sentence clause” in the TPP, because we have just heard that the trade ministers of the 12 TPP countries will meet in Atlanta starting September 26 to try to conclude the talks, and the monopoly periods for these biologic drugs will be one of just a handful of issues that will decide the fate of the TPP.

I plan to go to Atlanta to try to meet these trade ministers face to face — to ensure that women in the U.S. and around the world have access to the kind of biologic treatments that have extended my life. I want to bring your name with me, so please go to www.tppkills.org <http://www.tppkills.org/> to add your name.

Peace,

Zahara Heckscher, Cancer Thriver, Writer and Activist
 
 


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