Why is it in the News?

The new approach to intellectual property and investment through FTAs accepts an IP maximalist agenda of the United States Trade Representative; it threatens to upset the fine balance between public and private interests and push India away from essential innovations.

What is the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)?

• The TEPA is a pact designed to foster trade and investment opportunities between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
• It endeavors to diminish or eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers across various product categories.

Objectives:

• Facilitate trade and investment by reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
• Ensure equitable and transparent market access for service providers and investors.
• Enhance cooperation concerning the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
• Streamline trade procedures, promote customs cooperation, and establish effective mechanisms for dispute resolution.

Coverage:

• The agreement encompasses 14 chapters, addressing key areas such as:
  • Trade in goods
  • Rules of origin
  • Intellectual property rights (IPRs)
  • Trade in services
  • Investment promotion and cooperation
  • Government procurement
  • Technical barriers to trade
  • Trade facilitation
• By addressing these comprehensive aspects, the TEPA seeks to bolster economic collaboration and foster mutually beneficial outcomes for both India and EFTA member states.

What is the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)?

• EFTA is an intergovernmental organization of four member countries that are not part of the European Union (EU): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• The association was set up in 1960 to promote closer economic cooperation and free trade in Europe.

How important is EFTA?

• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland have a combined population of less than 14 million.
  • But their association punches above its weight in terms of trade figures.
• In 2021, EFTA was the tenth-largest trader in the world in merchandise trade and the eighth-largest in trade in services.

What is EFTA’s history?

• EFTA was established in 1960 by seven countries: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
• Iceland and Liechtenstein joined EFTA in 1970 and 1991, respectively.
• Denmark, the UK, Portugal, Austria, and Sweden then left EFTA to join the EU between 1973 and 1995.

Why is it in the News?

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has recently issued a drug safety alert for doctors and patients about the use of the commonly used painkiller mefenamic acid, popularly sold under the brand name Meftal.

Context:

• The Pharma standard body, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in its preliminary analysis of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) from the PvPI database revealed that Meftal can lead to Drug Reactions with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Syndrome.
• According to doctors, this syndrome causes a diverse array of clinical symptoms, anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks after initiating the offending drug.

What is DRESS syndrome?

• DRESS syndrome (Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) is an adverse reaction term that is currently used to describe a hypersensitivity reaction.
• Experts classify DRESS syndrome as a type 4 hypersensitivity reaction.
• It is a serious drug reaction affecting the skin and other organs, with a mortality rate of up to 10%.
• It manifests when the immune system excessively responds to specific medications, leading to a type 4 hypersensitivity reaction.
• This reaction can manifest with various symptoms across the body, including fever, abnormalities in blood, and inflammation of organs.

What are the symptoms of DRESS syndrome?

• Patients diagnosed with DRESS syndrome typically present with a rash, fever, and eosinophilia but can have a variety of symptoms including liver, lung, or kidney involvement.
• “DRESS syndrome should be suspected if a diffuse rash erupts and is accompanied by fever, facial edema, and enlarged lymph two to six weeks after starting a new high-risk medication.

How to treat DRESS Syndrome?

• The most important step to treat DRESS Syndrome is to stop the medication involved in the reaction, and sometimes, no further treatment is needed.
• Topical steroids can be given to treat the rash and in certain cases, further treatment is needed to protect the organs from damage, such as with steroids, which can be given either intravenously or orally.
• “Treatment with steroids can be needed for weeks or even months, and lab work is monitored carefully during this time.
• The average time to recovery is six to nine weeks.