Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Ten global health organisations today launched "Fight the Fakes," a global campaign against "fake" medicines, aimed at raising awareness about medicines - brand or generic - that are not what they claim to be. Meanwhile, a Swiss pharmaceutical company official was named head of investigations at a top international public health organisation.
A study emphasising the positive effect of the patent system on the public domain was presented this week by two of its co-authors as a side event to the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on development.
Global health diplomacy was the subject of a symposium organised by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute this week. The symposium explored the crossing lines between health diplomacy and science diplomacy, in particular how can diplomacy facilitate international scientific cooperation in health. This week was also the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization protocol against illicit trade in tobacco products.
Years-old efforts by members of the World Health Organization to come up with viable ways to boost research and development of medical products for diseases primarily affecting poor populations are coming to head, with a key meeting in December. That meeting of experts will be an opportunity to narrow down proposals being developed by the six WHO regional offices.
Though the WHO is among the recipients of EU contributions, support should be scaled up now that the WHO fears program cuts because of a persistent funding crisis. Revenues from a Financial Transaction Tax would be a resource for the EU to partly allocate for WHO needs, writes Daniele Dionisio.
The GAVI Alliance launched a mid-term report this week showing that the public-private partnership is on track to immunise more than 250 million children by 2015 and prevent some four million deaths. GAVI’s CEO said it uses multiple tools to help reduce prices of vaccine and that intellectual property rights do not pose a serious threat to its success.
The World Health Organization is putting the finishing touches on an implementation plan for industry's financial participation in the global influenza preparedness strategy. This week the advisory group met to discuss a draft plan presented by the WHO secretariat, which should now come up with a revised version for implementation in early 2014, according to the chair of the advisory group.
The US Chamber of Commerce's Global Intellectual Property Center organised a panel during the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week to explore what industry sees as challenges of trade in the digital age. Three panellists presented concerns - mainly counterfeiting - and solutions they have put in place to address such challenges.
A closed-door working group under the World Health Organization will meet next week to continue working out details of a plan for companies to pay for the right to use influenza virus strains to potentially develop patented treatments.
The World Health Organization, the United Nations health agency in persistent financial straits, has announced it must begin charging a fee to manufacturers seeking prequalification of their vaccines and diagnostics. The announcement stirred concern among public health advocates that it might have a negative effect for procurement and access to life-saving medicines.