The World Health Organization has once declared antiretroviral therapy a state of global emergency. It has initiated a difficult process of change of international policies on export of patent-protected pharmaceutical products to developing countries. Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted the "Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health" at its 4th Ministerial Conference in Doha, the public health activists seemed to believe that once it will be implemented, there is hope for third world countries which combat HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was not a long time after when it turned out that such a complex problem consisting of polar opposite interests cannot be handled in the traditional manner of adopting universal provisions of international law. The article focuses on the circumstances which have been a starting point for one of the most controversial policies undertaken by the WTO countries. It shows the consequences of putting into practice the reform of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The aim of the article is to summarize experience of past two decades of tackling the problem and to assess the approach that has been undertaken by the involved countries.