Category Health & IP

Medicines Patent Pool Signs Deal With Indian Generics Producer

The Medicines Patent Pool, which negotiates voluntary licences for lower pharmaceutical prices, today announced the signing of an agreement with generics producer Aurobindo Pharma Limited to manufacture antiretroviral medicines. The Patent Pool has recently come under criticism from AIDS activists concerned about its July licence agreement with drug company Gilead, and it remains to be seen if this action will address their concerns.

A Response From The Authors Of The Health Impact Fund

In reaction to the recent IP-Watch Inside Views post “Health Impact Fund – Raising Issues of Distribution, IP Rights and Alliances,” by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and Proochista Ariana, the authors offer a response on behalf of Incentives for Global Health (IGH), the non-profit organization that is developing the Health Impact Fund (HIF) proposal.

Health Impact Fund – Raising Issues Of Distribution, IP Rights And Alliances

This piece raises several issues with the public health financing proposal called the Health Impact Fund. It questions the relative distribution of costs and benefits; the persistent issue of intellectual property rights; as well as a lack of alliance with existing efforts to increase innovation of and access to essential medicines for the poor.

Questions Arise Over UN Policy On Non-Communicable Diseases And IP Rights

United Nations members this month are setting the future course for global action against a rising public health problem well-known in developed countries and spreading to developing countries: noncommunicable diseases. But whether they will – or should - address concerns that intellectual property rights issues might interfere with access to treatments for such diseases as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease remains to be seen.

NCDs Pose Major Threat to Public Health, WHO Reports

The greatest threat to global public health is not infectious diseases according to the World Health Organization. In a report released this week, the WHO found that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the top cause of death worldwide. The report details the NCD situation in 193 countries and comes as world leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs in New York on 19-20 September.

USTR White Paper On Trade In Medicines Raises Questions

The Office of the US Trade Representative this week released a position paper on medicines and trade, in the midst of a controversial negotiation for a trade agreement with Pacific-bordering nations. The USTR "white paper" was billed as trade goals to enhance access to medicines, but stirred sharp criticism from public interest groups which found its claims of promoting medicines access for the poor disingenuous.

“Washington Declaration” Demands Return Of Public Interest In IP Rights

A new multi-stakeholder declaration demanding that the public interest be returned to intellectual property rights was issued this week and is open for signatures by anyone, already collecting hundreds of supporters. The declaration contains numerous principles and actions, such as restraint in enforcement, open access, and development priorities, that the drafters hope will help change the course of IP policymaking.

Still A Long Way To Go For Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiated last year will be open for signature for two years, until the first of May 2013. But while this looks like a long time, it likely will be needed by the 37 negotiating governments (including the United States, Japan, South Korea and the 27 European Union members) to iron out problems on their way to implementing what some rights owners welcomed as a possible new “gold standard” for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.