Bayer Will Appeal India Compulsory Licence On Its Cancer Drug
German pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer has announced it will appeal yesterday's ruling in India that upheld a compulsory licence on one of its drugs.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Year 2013
India’s First Compulsory Licence Upheld, But Legal Fights Likely To Continue
New Delhi - India’s Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) today upheld the country’s first compulsory licence on a pharmaceutical product. The much-awaited verdict by Justice (Ms) Prabha Sridevan upholds the compulsory licence issued to Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma Ltd, an Indian generic drug manufacturer, which sells a much cheaper version of German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG's kidney and liver cancer drug Nexavar in the market.
Should Industry Support LDCs’ Request For Unlimited Time To Implement The TRIPS Agreement? Absolutely
Nick Ashton-Hart writes: Some of you may have noticed that the ICT sector trade association that I represent in Geneva, the Computer and Communication Industry Association (CCIA), has endorsed a bid by the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) to remove any specific deadline for full compliance with the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.
Patent Pool-ViiV Collaboration On Paediatric HIV Sparks Reactions, Hope
The Medicines Patent Pool has announced a ground-breaking collaboration with a private sector joint venture that it said will facilitate greater availability of critical medicines for children with HIV worldwide. The announcement caused a wave of positive reactions across the public health community, with many hoping for more in the future.
Global Fund Launches New Funding Model
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, based in Geneva, has announced a new funding model that aims to allow for more strategic investment.
WIPO Patent Law Committee Cinches Agreement On Future Work
With the threat of suspension of work looming, the World Intellectual Property Organization Standing Committee of the Law of Patents (SCP) agreed to a minimal programme of work, which includes exceptions and limitations to patent rights, quality of patents, and patents and health. Delegates made significant concessions on all sides, but the Africa Group expressed particular disappointment in the limited commitment to work on the patents and health topic.
Russia Establishes Specialised Court For Intellectual Property Rights
As of 1 February 2013, a specialised court for intellectual property rights (the IPR Court) is instituted within the system of commercial (‘arbitrazh’) courts of the Russian Federation.
Speakers Outline Ideas For Africa To Find Appropriate IP Policies
Johannesburg, South Africa - Africa is still held captive by colonial borders and has failed to collectively leverage benefit-sharing agreements that result from multinationals’commercial pursuit of indigenous knowledge, said speakers at the Africa IP conference this week.
Global Health Giants, Trade Deals, And IP Play Central Role In 2013 Public Health Policy
The role of intellectual property in a wide range of public health challenges - access to medicines, vaccine prices, procurement strategies, and research for diseases of the poor - is a focal point in 2013 cutting across national, regional, and international policymaking.
South Africa Leaning Toward Support Of Pan-African IP Office, Minister Says
Johannesburg - There are strong indications that South Africa may join – and lead the charge - in the establishment of the controversial Pan-African Intellectual Property Office (PAIPO).
Coalition Asks US Congress For Action On “Patent Trolls”
In an open letter to the US Congress House of Representatives Judiciary Committee today (27 February), a coalition of agencies, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators, urged Congress to take action against "patent trolls, non-practicing patent-holding entities.
WIPO Members Struggle To Define Work Programme On Patents And Health
As the World Intellectual Property Organization’s patent law committee grapples with starkly differing positions on the topic of patents and health, the secretariats of WIPO, the World Health Organization and World Trade Organization presented to members how their first trilateral study on access to medical technologies and innovation could be used as an effective resource. While the secretariats emphasised the neutral, informative nature of the book, some members pointed to a need for greater analysis of the challenges developing countries face when trying to use patent flexibilities for access to medicines.