Leading civil society organisations have issued a stark warning to the UK government over the potential consequences of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on global access to medicines.
This comes amidst reports that the impacts of Trump’s tariffs are driving India to strike trade deals. The UK Government relaunched talks on a UK-India trade deal on Monday 24 February.
In a joint letter to Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, the coalition has raised alarm over provisions in the trade deal that could severely restrict India’s ability to produce life-saving, affordable medicines.
The letter highlights leaked drafts of the FTA’s intellectual property (IP) chapter, which suggest the UK is pushing for measures that go far beyond international trade norms. These “TRIPS-plus” provisions could:
- Extend pharmaceutical monopolies, delaying the production of affordable generic medicines.
- Remove safeguards against unjustified patents, allowing companies to keep prices artificially high.
- Block access to crucial clinical trial data, slowing medical innovation and generic competition.
India is known as the “pharmacy of the developing world,” supplying affordable medicines to millions globally, as well as 25% of the NHS’s medicines. The proposed changes could not only impact global health but also drive up costs and reduce access to medicines for UK patients.
Tom Wills, Director of the Trade Justice Movement, said: “If these provisions are pushed through, they will prioritise pharmaceutical profits over public health, undermining India’s ability to produce affordable medicines that millions of people around the world rely on, including here in the UK.“
The coalition is urging the UK government to drop these harmful proposals and ensure future trade agreements prioritise access to medicines, with full transparency and parliamentary scrutiny throughout negotiations.
