Drug giants warned on access

Multinational drug companies on Tuesday were urged to give poor countries better access to life-saving drugs, UK newspaper The Guardian reported.

Britain's finance minister Gordon Brown said the issue was not only one of morality, but also of international security.

"It's time that all recognise the responsibilities to help avoid unnecessary deaths and that means we've got to get an agreement for the trade round," Brown said.

Brown's comments came after ministers from over 20 countries met at informal free-trade talks in Japan at the weekend, in the hope of reaching an agreement to override patent rights on vital medicines in developing countries.

"Nobody can claim special interests on special privileges when people are dying unnecessarily," Brown added.