AUCKLAND: Leaked documents from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) indicate giant drug companies are trying to control the price of their products thereby decreasing New Zealanders access to cheaper medicines. The TPP is a regional trade agreement between New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The leaked US proposals from TTP reveal that the Obama administration is seeking new rights for pharmaceutical giants to challenge pricing and other drug formulary policies. New monopoly patent rights for Big Pharma were among the proposals leaked. TPP opponent Jane Kelsey, a University of Auckland law professor said the leaked texts gave pharmaceutical giants “a platform to wage a war of harassment against Pharmac.” Pharmac is the New Zealand government agency that buys drugs and can negotiate with manufacturers to get better prices. Professor Kelsey said the secret TPP negotiations threatened the country's health care system by giving foreign companies great influence over democratic matters. BM