New MedsPaL Database: Enhancing Transparency In The Patent Field
A new database was launched this week to facilitate navigation through the patent field and increase transparency surrounding the patent status of medicines and licences.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category WHO
Fall Is A Time For Farewells, Hellos At UN Agencies, Law Offices, NGOs, Industry
As autumn rolled in, two United Nations agencies chose global figures to help them with their missions, another has a new website, and changed heads, while non-governmental organisations, law offices, and industry also saw numerous changes at management level.
UNITAID-FIND Partnership To Scale Up Hepatitis C Diagnostics
Initiating a new partnership today, global health initiative UNITAID and the non-profit FIND began a project that will work towards the improvement, affordability and availability of diagnostics and treatments for the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Clinical Trial Reporting Biased; Full Disclosure, Transparency Needed, Speakers Say
A conference on clinical drug trials held today shed a harsh light on the availability and honesty of clinical trial reports. Many factors concur to possible distortion of results, speakers said, calling for more stringent obligations to provide all data for analysis. They also noted legislative efforts to tackle the issue. Speakers also pointed out a growing trend for pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical trials in developing countries.
Europe Dominates List Of Candidates For Next WHO Director
The World Health Organization today released the list of candidates to be the next director general of the UN health agency in Geneva. Of the six candidates, four are from the European region.
Against ‘Grave Challenge To Achievements Of 20th Century’, UN Agrees Political Declaration On Antibiotic Resistance
NEW YORK -- The membership of the United Nations today agreed a political declaration on antimicrobial resistance, elevating the global fight against overuse and misuse of antibiotics – and lack of new antibiotics – to the highest political level. The declaration struck by world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York includes mention of separating medicine prices from the cost of research and development, and calls on the UN secretary-general to create an interagency coordination group. Now - as framed by many governments, intergovernmental organisations and nongovernmental representatives - attention moves to implementation of actions aimed at staving off this threat to humanity itself.
Antimicrobial Resistance A ‘Global Societal Challenge And Threat’, WHO Official Says
Antimicrobial resistance had in the last decades emerged as a health issue, but only in the last couple of years has there been an understanding that we are facing a “global societal challenge and threat.” On a day-to-day basis, people worldwide are said to be driving resistance across human health and agriculture.
Delinkage Of R&D Costs From Product Prices
It is essential that policy makers reform the systems for financing R&D, and de-link the costs of R&D from the prices of products, says James Love.
UN High-Level Panel On Access To Medicines Issues “Landmark” Report
The long-awaited report by the United Nations High Level Panel on Access to Medicines was released today, making many recommendations. The panel calls for countries to embrace the policy space available in the World Trade Organization intellectual property rules, and invest more in health. It also calls for negotiation of a binding international treaty on research and development, delinking prices from R&D costs, greater transparency in drug pricing, public health impact assessments in free trade agreements, and encouragement to better use international legal tools available to countries to ensure affordable medical products. And it lays out the path ahead, calling for several new bodies to be created to take recommendations forward. [Note: story is being continuously updated during the day, now adding industry response]
UNITAID Issues Call For Solutions To Overcome IP Barriers
UNITAID, the drug financing mechanism, has put out an appeal calling for ideas on solutions to overcome intellectual property barriers that may be preventing progress in public health. The deadline for submissions is coming near.