Europe Dominates List Of Candidates For Next WHO Director23/09/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe 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 Resistance22/09/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentNEW 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 Says16/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentAntimicrobial 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 Prices15/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentIt 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.
UN High-Level Panel On Access To Medicines Issues “Landmark” Report14/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 CommentsThe 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 Barriers06/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsUNITAID, 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.
WHO Experts Seek To Have Its Flu Framework Recognised Under Nagoya Protocol02/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsWill an international instrument protecting genetic resources get in the way of the world’s preparedness to fend off the next influenza pandemic? This is one of the questions left open for a group of experts reviewing the World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework. Meanwhile, one stakeholder is claiming to have been denied full and fair participation.
WHO Debates Expansion Of Role In Virus-Sharing31/08/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 CommentsThe global treatment of influenza is under reconsideration at the World Health Organization this week, as a review group of a WHO influenza pandemic framework looks at issues such as its relationship with an international treaty protecting countries’ ownership biological resources.
WHO Flu Pandemic Framework Working, Group Says; Some Concerned30/08/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsA World Health Organization framework to respond to influenza pandemics is working successfully, the confidential draft report of a review team has found. But some areas, such as virus genetic information, still need more work. Stakeholders, meanwhile, are challenging some findings and a concern was raised that lawyers may be influencing the science behind decisions on this issue.
Virus Sharing Key Against Next Flu Pandemic: Global Database Hosts Genetic Data Of Flu Viruses26/08/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 CommentsWhen a deadly influenza virus appears and threatens to become a pandemic, time is of the essence. The 1918 flu epidemic infected a large portion of the global population and killed millions of people. The next pandemic is inevitable, and surveillance of flu viruses is essential through the timely sharing of flu virus genetic data with the scientific and research communities. A collaborative database has become prominent in recent years.
