Category Health & IP

The 2011 Drug Patent ‘Cliff’ And The Evolution Of IP Valuation

In today’s global economy, there is an increasing convergence of intellectual property and finance. Wall Street is grappling with how to recognise the true value of a firm’s intellectual property. Companies are realising that simply accumulating patents does not necessarily increase their firms’ value, but it is how those patents are used that can attract capital. And drug companies facing massive numbers of upcoming patent expiries, a deflated economy and other market pressures, are looking to diversify their portfolios to stay in the black.

Patent On AIDS Medicine Denied In India; Seen Unlocking Market

A decision by the Indian Patent Office to reject a patent on an AIDS drug last week has drawn acclaim from civil society and Indian generic pharmaceutical industries. The decision was not based on a controversial article of Indian law aimed at preventing patent extensions but rather on the grounds of non-inventiveness. Abbott Laboratories, meanwhile, presented Intellectual Property Watch with justification for its Indian patent request.

Nations Closer To Pandemic Vaccine Framework, Key Negotiator Says

There could be some good news in 2011 for poor populations concerned about the impact of devastating pandemic diseases. Nations last week reached some breakthroughs behind closed doors in the sensitive international negotiations on finding a way to ensure all global citizens can obtain vaccines in the face of pandemics, according to a leading official in the talks. But some observers said problems remain in establishing clear rules for fair access and benefit-sharing of viruses and vaccines.

Europe Told Of Obligations On Virus Benefit-Sharing

In what may be the first legal reference to newly adopted international rules on sharing the benefits of and access to genetic resources, non-governmental groups have sent letters to top European health officials reminding them of these obligations in the context of influenza viruses and access to vaccines - a topic under debate this week at the World Health Organization.