ABPI

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) is a lobby group representing the interests of numerous British pharmaceutical companies. Currently ABPI's memberlist numbers 75 companies including some of the largest such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca. It is active at both the British and European level and has in addition been involved in lobbying for pharmaceutical interests in the devolved institutions of Wales and Scotland.

Active Areas

The ABPI has lobbied for the interests of its members in a number of areas, issues which it has supported include -

• Patents for biotechnological inventions
• Patents for medicines in developing countries
• A loosening of restrictions on advertising prescription medicines
• Public-Private-Partnerships to fund research
• An opposition to lowering the prices of pharmaceutical products
• An opposition to legal obligations to disclose research data
• The right to use Animals in research

Patents in Developing countries

One of the areas in which ABPI has been most vocal concerns the patenting of medicines in developing countries.