Enter The African Medicines Agency, Continent’s First Super-Regulator?
An African medicines agency, the continent’s first super-regulator, could be approved as soon as next year.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Patents/Designs/Trade Secrets
EPO New Policy Brief On Climate Technologies
The European Patent Office today released a new policy brief on climate change mitigation technologies, with a focus on renewable energy technologies, which are on the rise.
Medicines Patent Pool Nets WHO’s Kieny As New Chair
Marie-Paule Kieny, fresh out of the World Health Organization, where she held the position of assistant director general for Health Systems and Innovation, will be the new chair of the Medicines Patent Pool, as of 1 September.
Innovator Industries Claim Win In Canadian High Court Patent Ruling
The Canadian Supreme Court today upheld a pharmaceutical industry appeal against a tool used in certain cases to overturn patents on products that could be seen as not meriting a patent monopoly. The ruling could effectively block a generic version of a patented drug from being on the market.
World’s Most Effective HIV Drug Rolled Out In Africa In Generic Version
NAIROBI, Kenya - A generic version of dolutegravir (DTG), the drug of choice for the last two years for people living with HIV in high-income countries, is now available in Africa. On 28 June, the government of Kenya and drug pricing and innovation mechanism Unitaid unveiled the new first-line drug in an effort to accelerate access to better antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for her people living with HIV. It becomes the first country in Africa to introduce the generic version of drug.
WTO Info Tech Agreement Symposium: Is Expansion To Digital Trade In The Cards?
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the World Trade Organization Agreement this week, several speakers and delegates called for a further expansion of the landmark deal, possibly in ways that include digital trade and better incorporate developing countries. Many information and communication technology (ICT) products are not part of the list of products under the ITA, speakers said, and negotiations about an expansion of the list of products may take a long time.
EPO Will Not Allow Patents On Plants, Animals From Biological Processes
The European Patent Office today issued a clarification about the patenting of plant and animal products, putting it in line with a European Commission clarification that such products obtained through a biological breeding process should not be patentable.
Remote Sensing And (Geo-) ICTs, Prime Tools To Achieve SDGs, WSIS Forum Hears
Remote sensing and geo-ICT are prime technological tools to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, according to VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research. But technology should not be considered as “deus ex machina,” a speaker added during the recent World Summit on the Information Society Forum (the WSIS Forum 2017).
Novartis Loses Claim On Extension Of Data Exclusivity
In a decision today, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg put an end to a complaint by Novartis Europharm Ltd against the European Commission over the terms for data exclusivity (C-629/15 P). Novartis had appealed an earlier decision by the European Court (the first instance) which had rejected the claims by the pharmaceutical company that it should be granted additional data exclusivity for Aclasta, developed from Novartis' older drug Zometa. No way, the Court of Justice said today, upholding the judgment by the lower court that had found that Novartis' interpretation of the rules would effectively allow the extension of data exclusivity for a drug forever.
Access And Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Initiative To Continue Cooperation With WIPO
The Access and Benefit Sharing Capacity Development Initiative (ABS Initiative) and the World Intellectual Property Organization will continue their cooperation and produce “further good events,” it became known during a recent event organised by WIPO. The initiative relates to genetic resources.