WHO Report: Access, Affordability Of Medicines Key To Reducing Non-Communicable Diseases19/01/2015 by James Cote for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentA new report from the World Health Organization examines the Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020 (known as the Global NCD Action Plan) and provides some “lessons learnt from implementation.” The report calls for urgent action by governments to stop the “epidemic” of cancer and mostly preventable diseases from sources like tobacco use, salt intake, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure. This includes ensuring treatment is available and affordable, it says.
WHO Executive Board To Address Reform, R&D Financing, Ebola, Budget14/01/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentThe upcoming World Health Organization Executive Board annual January meeting will be 10 days. Included in the list of issues to be addressed are the engagement of the organisation with lobbyists and donors, antimicrobial resistance, and the potential establishment of a pooled fund of voluntary contributions for research and development for diseases primarily affecting developing countries.
Fight Against Ebola Gaining Ground As Vaccines Pass Tests, WHO Says09/01/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe World Health Organization today optimistically announced progress in the search for efficient vaccines to fight the Ebola virus. Tests conducted so far show acceptable safety profiles, and public-private vaccine alliance Gavi has committed to fund Ebola vaccines.
Most-Read IP-Watch Stories In 2014: A Tale Of Staff Issues, India, Hot-Button Topics07/01/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentAll year long, Intellectual Property Watch expends great energy and resources to bring hundreds of carefully written, detailed stories on policymaking – technical committee meetings, legislation, negotiations, legal cases, and latest reports and papers. But in what is perhaps typical of readers everywhere, many of the best-read IP-Watch stories of 2014 were those few that involved elections and personnel issues and India, followed by a range of hot button issues such as high-priced medicines, copyright and knowledge access, patent valuation, or internet surveillance.
UN Office Of Drugs And Crime Enters Debate Over Fake Medicines And IP09/12/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been working for several years to fight “fraudulent” medicines in the global supply chain. But an alleged new draft model legislation it is developing includes intellectual property rights, an issue which has led to intensive debates in other international fora. This week, a closed-door UNODC informal expert group drafting the model legislation is meeting in Vienna.
Medicines Patent Pool Adds Two AbbVie Paediatric HIV Medicines01/12/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) has announced a licence agreement with pharmaceutical manufacturer AbbVie to allow the production of cheaper, more accessible paediatric versions of two HIV medicines.
Index: Pharma Industry Improves On Access To Medicines, Needs Work On Ethics, Patent Disclosure17/11/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe 2014 edition of an independent ranking of leading pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to help developing countries released today found new initiatives undertaken in the past two years. But it said corruption and insufficient disclosure of existing patents continue to plague the industry.
WHO Influenza Preparedness Report Shows Companies Not Fulfilling Obligations14/11/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework is at risk due to some companies not fulfilling their obligations, a new WHO report says.
WHO In Race To Find Promising Ebola Treatments As Many Products Ruled Out14/11/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentProposals for products to help fight Ebola are coming in to the World Health Organization, but few look promising so far, an official said today. Meanwhile, efforts are on to establish testing sites for potential products, and thinking is still in the early stages on intellectual property rights for new drugs in development.
Expect Strong IP Push From Global Pharma Industry Next Year; WHO Prescribes Dose Of Reality07/11/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentNEW YORK – Strong intellectual property rights will be a top priority for the pharmaceutical industry internationally in the coming year and arguments over IPRs versus medicines access are false, a top representative said at a high-level industry event this week. But views at the event differed on expectations of industry in light of the Ebola crisis, hepatitis C drug costs or other medicines access questions.