PRESS-RELEASE: Thousands of cancer patients in Belarus, abandoned by a US corporation, have UK frien

PDF version HERE, PDF version in Russian HERE

Original claim registered with Competition Appeal Tribunal HERE

The United Nations reported that thirty years ago 70 percent of the total radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster fell on nearly a quarter of Belarus. That fallout affected more than 2.2 million Belarusians, including 500,000 children.

Today, Belarus is still cursed by Chernobyl and has some of the highest incidence of a range of cancers in the World. Yet the situation would have been a lot worse if the Belarus state healthcare system had not imported diagnostic solutions from Dako, a Danish company. For over a decade, the Dako System that tests the tissue from cancer victims has been used throughout Belarus to diagnose and monitor their treatment.

Unfortunately, Agilent Technologies Inc. a US company which acquired Dako, has recently told Dako to withdraw from the Belarus market. Thousands of cancer patients are left to wonder why no public explanation has been given.

Supplies already within Belarus can only last a few more days and then diagnosis and monitoring of cancer patients using the Dako System will stop. There is no real alternative to the Dako System.

The Dako System was exported to Belarus by a UK company, Labinvesta. Labinvesta is no longer able to supply the Belarusian market with the Dako System. Labinvesta is not prepared to abandon the thousands of cancer patient who rely on the Dako System and have taken legal action in the UK.

Labinvesta in the UK purchased the Dako System from Denmark through business which took place within the EU. So the competition rules of the EU and UK apply. These rules provide the opportunity for Labinvesta to take legal action against Agilent Technologies and Dako in the UK relying on the laws which prevent the abuse of a dominant position.

A claim has been issued in an appropriate UK court (the Competition Appeal Tribunal). So far, Agilent have ignored requests to find a solution. Further assistance has been requested from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority who have also consulted with the UK Foreign Office to assist in this humanitarian crisis.

30 years after Chernobyl, Belarus is still considered by the UN as needing international support. Labinvesta is determined to bring this perilous situation to public attention. Taking on a large US corporation is not easy, and Labinvesta would welcome any support from Belarus and those that want to help Belarus.

This is not just a commercial matter. Thousands of cancer patients in Belarus are affected by a decision of a US Corporation taken 6000 miles away from the consequences.

The socially responsible thing for Agilent Technologies and Dako to do is to ensure the cancer patients of Belarus continue to have full access to the Dako System.

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Labinvesta is a Full Member of the British-Belarus Chamber of Commerce, for further info please contact k.savrassov@bbelcc.org