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 Finance
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.
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.
EPO Staff Calls General Strikes To Protest Presidential Reform Plans
European Patent Office employees, fed up with a series of reforms proposed by President Benoît Battistelli, have called “Respect Staff” strikes on 30 June and 3 July in all European Patent Office locations - Munich, The Hague, Berlin and Vienna.
As Questions Mount Over Future Of IP, Geneva A ‘Particular’ Place For Global Dialogue
There are still many unanswered questions about intellectual property rights, speakers said during an academic conference last week in Geneva. Think tank analyst and author Pedro Roffe, who was the focal point of the conference, said at the event that there is “particularly in Geneva” place for dialogue about “very important and emerging” IP questions.
Open Access Policy In International Organisations
Open access is “part of the DNA” of international intergovernmental organisations, Charlotte Beauchamp, head of editorial and design at the World Intellectual Property Organization, said during a workshop last week. Representatives of different international organisations described during the workshop the increasing use of an open access policy by their organisations.
Switzerland Tops Global Innovation Index 2017; Attention To Gap Needed
Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom are the top five global innovative economies, according to the Global Innovation Index 2017, released today.
German Court, UK Election Could Push Back Unified Patent Court Launch
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Europe was previously expected to open for business in December 2017 but that timeline has now slipped.
Panellists At UN: Create A Global Research Centre For Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence can solve many challenges facing humanity and it is seen playing a contributing role to the achieving of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but being data-driven, the inevitable question that arises is who owns it and manages it.
At WIPO, Water Entrepreneurs Meet Investors
Entrepreneurs with innovative water technologies came to the World Intellectual Property Organization last week to find new partnerships and investors. The urgent need to work together and build partnerships in the water sector was the overall message of the event. “Nobody can do the work alone,” Nicholas Niggli, Republic & State of Geneva's Director General, Economic Development, Research & Innovation, said, referring to the many existing water challenges.