Bayer: Not Just Aspirin

opinion by Coalition against Bayer-Dangers, Kavaljit Singh, and Philipp Mimkes

PRESSURING CANADA

The Canadian health authorities sent shock waves through the entire pharmaceutical industry during the height of the anthrax scare recently, when the government announced it would suspend Bayer’s patent on Cipro and allow generic drug makers to manufacture and sell it in Canada at $0.95 per pill, significantly lower than $1.59 charged by Bayer. But not to worry. Bayer succeeded in reversing Canada’s stand. This sordid episode demonstrates the shady role played by the drug companies and their lobby organizations to stifle competition from generic drug manufacturers. Several inferences can be drawn from this: First, the US puts the supremacy of patents over public health. We believe the present 20-year patent period should be reduced to about five years. Second, the present patent regime poses a grave danger to public health. Sound health should take precedence over patents and monopoly profits. Third, the drug industry should be broken up to ensure that crucial drugs are sold at affordable prices. Fourth, there should be greater unity between the poor and the developed countries on issues of common interest at the WTO and other international economic negotiations.

MONOPOLY IN EUROPE

The European Commission is investigating Bayer’s proposal to purchase Aventis Cropscience (ACS), thereby becoming the world’s second-largest maker of agrochemicals. The Commission is concerned about less competition in the manufacture of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and seed treatment products, as well as potential effects of chemicals used to control ticks and fleas on dogs and cats. The Commission said there are also problems with herbicides in connection with cereals, maize and sugar beets; with fungicides in connection with grapes and seed treatment.

POISONING NEPAL

Greenpeace activists recently completed the containment of a stockpile of toxic obsolete pesticides in Nepal. The pesticides were exported to Nepal by multinationals such as Bayer, Sandoz, Shell, Rhone Poulenc, Du Pont, Union Carbide (Dow) and Monsanto and abandoned after they reached their expiration date or were banned. The most dangerous substances at the site are from Bayer. These include highly toxic chlorinated organomercury compounds, banned for use in the European Union since 1988. “These stockpiles of obsolete pesticides are ecological time bombs,” said a Greenpeace toxic waste expert.” The toxics threaten the health of residents, workers and livestock in the area as well as local water supplies, irrigation systems and soil.” The deadly substances, which include banned pesticides such as dieldrin, chlorinated organomercury compounds and DDT, were “donated” to Nepal in order to open its markets. An estimated 500,000 metric tonnes of obsolete pesticides have been abandoned worldwide, mainly in developing countries. They are usually stored in poor conditions, often in residential areas or next to schools. Greenpeace is calling for a global inventory of all obsolete pesticides and for the manufacturers and suppliers to take full responsibility for them.

POISONING PERU

Peruvian families recently sued the Bayer Corp. two years after 24 children in the remote Andean village of Tauccamarca were killed and 18 more severely poisoned when they drank a powdered milk substitute that had been contaminated with the pesticide methyl parathion. Bayer is the product’s principle importer and manufacturer. Methyl parathion is classified as “extremely hazardous” and acutely toxic by the World Health Organization, and is responsible for a disproportionately large share of pesticide poisonings in Latin America. Bayer widely promoted its methyl parathion formulation, known as “Folidol”, throughout Peru, without alerting users about the product’s risks to health and the environment. For more information: rapalpe@terra.com.pe; erosenthal@igc.org

POISONING CAMBODIA

Cambodia serves as a dumping ground for toxic chemicals that cannot be sold in its neighbouring countries. Methyl parathion is officially banned or restricted in Cambodia, China, the US, Japan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. But Folidol, Bayer’s name for methyl parathion, is the most popular insecticide on the Cambodian market. Cambodia has over 50 kinds of dangerous pesticides, which are being illegally exported here through Thailand and Vietnam. The multinational firms that manufacture the chemicals say that they are not responsible because they do not directly market to Cambodia. The pesticides are often stored near cooking and living areas and often in the reach of children. Finished bottles are often left in fields, canals or ponds. The misuse of pesticides, particularly on rice crops, has caused huge pest outbreak as the chemicals not only kill the pests, but beneficial insects as well. Incessant spraying, causing resistance, has led to over-dosing in rice by up to eight times the recommended rate. Corporations like Bayer say they don’t export dangerous chemicals to countries lacking proper regulations, and while officials and corporations argue about who is responsible, pesticides continue to poison millions of farmers, their families and their environment.—Excerpts from a BBC documentary: www.toxictrail.org

LETTER TO US ACTIVISTS

Bayer Corp. was scheduled to list on Wall Street on January 24. We are the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, and are looking for activists who are interested in helping us document Bayer’s corporate crimes and to protest against Bayer. We could target Bayer on their role in the Cipro case, on the fine they paid to Medicare, on the accident in Baytown which they didn’t report, on patents and AIDS medication, on the Baycol issue, and more. Any help and comments are welcome! Please take a look at the English section of our website for more information.

Coalition against BAYER-Dangers, www.CBGnetwork.org. CBG/Coalition against BAYER-dangers, Postfach 15 04 18, 40081 Duesseldorf, Germany, CBGnetwork@aol.com; www.CBGnetwork.org