Despite a 15 billion-dollar proposal to fight AIDS in developing nations, Washington is still unlikely to compromise on drug patents -- a crucial tool in the arsenal for poor countries to fight the spread of the deadly disease.

The United States is alone among the World Trade Organization's 144 members to oppose a December agreement in Doha giving developing nations stricken by AIDS epidemics the right to ignore drug patents and import cheaper, generic medicines.

Washington has justified its opposition to the proposal by calling it a license for unfair competition, said Mark Greyson, spokesman for PhRMA, an umbrella lobbying group for the pharmaceutical industry.

"It's not about the poor countries; if it were about the poor countries everything will be over," he said.

A European diplomatic source said Washington appears unlikely to support WTO sanctions of drug patent violations.

President George W. Bush's initiative, for diagnosing, treating and preventing AIDS in 14 African and Caribbean nations, purports to show a Washington that is humanitarian but protective at the same time of its commercial interests, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The initiative was approved Friday by the US Senate, clearing the way for Bush to introduce it in discussions at the G8 summit next month in France. Bush has also promised to press other rich nations to increase aid to poor countries to fight the disease ahead of a donors conference in July.

"PhRMA, a powerful special interest group, could contend that this budgeted assistance is to balance the account, and Washington will resist any concession with the WTO on exemptions to patent protections," the European source said.

Developing countries want to be able to produce generic drugs to treat not only AIDS but other infectious diseases, and "PhRMA is ferociously opposed to this because it could close potentially lucrative markets to them," the source said.

In response, a US trade official who asked not to be named, said: "We remain open to a multilateral solution and we are hopeful that a certain level of comfort can be restored in the discussion that will complete the Doha mandate."

The US official said such proposals would help those with the most dire needs to gain access to fight and treat the Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, which still has no cure.

"I don't think there is any linkage that you can point to between the funding and the discussion ... to the contrary the funding demonstrates strong US commitment to reach a solution at the multilateral level," the official said.

Globally, 42 million people are infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, including 30 million in Africa. Since it was first detected two decades ago, 30 million people have died.

Copyright 2003 AFP

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