Ralph Nader to HHS Sec’y Thompson: “We were shocked by your comments in the October 17, 2001 Washington Post, indicating

that you do not have the legal authority to authorize generic production of ciprofloxacin, a

drug used to treat victims of an anthrax attack. This, of course, is not true. As your own

staff is well aware, you may use 28 USC 1498 to issue compulsory licenses for patents,

and you could immediately authorize the five companies who have already satisfied U.S.

FDA requirements for the quality of their products to speed the manufacturer of

ciprofloxacin, and indeed this could and should be done for any other medicine needed to

confront the current crisis.”