Resolution On WHO Work With Non-State Actors Down To Wire 27/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With the end of the annual World Health Assembly looming tomorrow, member states are working away behind closed doors to finalise a resolution on how the World Health Organization shall work with outside actors going forward.
EU Council Green-Lights Trade Secrets Directive 27/05/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Union trade secrets directive passed its final hurdle on 27 May when EU governments backed compromise text approved by the European Parliament on 14 April. Once the law has been formally published, member states will have up to two years to incorporate its provisions into domestic law.
Against Microbial Resistance Peril, WHA Delegates Discuss Global Solutions, Approve Report 27/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment According to a new report, by 2050, some 10 million lives could be lost a year due to antimicrobial resistance. This is an issue which has been central to this year’s World Health Assembly, and is of global consequence. Delegates gathered for the occasion noted a report by the World Health Organization secretariat on the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance adopted last year and options to develop a global stewardship framework to try to limit the use of antibiotics and develop new ones.
National And Regional Initiatives To Spur Research For New Antibiotics 27/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A side event to the World Health Assembly organised by a number of delegations on antibiotic research and innovation reflected the deep global concern about antimicrobial resistance and the lack of candidates to replace what was once considered as a miracle of modern medicine.
Shift In Discussions About R&D At This Week’s World Health Assembly 26/05/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Public health advocates – and many nations – had high hopes that this year’s World Health Assembly could finally agree on some alternative ways to fund research and development that leads to affordable medical products by de-linking R&D costs from prices, through the long-awaited discussion of a landmark 2012 report of a WHO expert group on medical R&D. This week, that discussion has spread across the highest profile topics of the week such as antimicrobial resistance and emergencies, but some are concerned that the public health safeguards recommended by the expert group may be being left behind.
WHA: Pandemic Flu Preparedness Framework Praised; Vaccine Production Still Short 26/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Adopted five years ago, the World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework is currently undergoing its first review. Member states gathered in committee at the World Health Assembly yesterday mostly expressed support for the framework, and took note of a report by the WHO secretariat.
Amending Pharmaceutical Industry Practices Can Build Trust, Panellists Say 26/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At a side event to this week’s World Health Assembly, GlaxoSmithKline detailed measures taken by the company to dispel the perception of conflict of interest, and build trust, including amending the ways its sales forces operate, and no longer paying speakers at scientific congresses, and said it wants to provide leadership on the issue. Patients and physicians associations call for mainstreaming those practices.
G7, In Japan, Put Their Heads Together Over Crises 26/05/2016 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Eight ministerial meetings have prepared a fat stack of paper, the “sherpas” have nearly concluded their work, and civil society once more has passed its own resolution on how they propose to tackle the most daunting global problems. Now it’s time for the G7 leaders’ roundtables – and the photo ops in Ise-Shima, Japan. For two days, the heads of state of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States will talk on trade, foreign policy, climate change and energy. And maybe some digital, R&D and intellectual property issues.
Leaked EU Document Lays Out Major Evaluation Of EU Drug Pricing 25/05/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The 28 European Union member governments are preparing to request the European Commission to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the availability and affordability of EU medicinal products that could lead to changes in R&D and pricing models. An apparent first-of-its-kind, the assessment would look at market and data exclusivity, supplementary protection certificates, and intellectual property issues, according to an alleged copy of the draft Council conclusions obtained by Intellectual Property Watch.
European Commission Floats Broad Package Of Reforms For Digital Single Market 25/05/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Commission today unveiled a raft of strategies aimed at boosting the European Digital Single Market (DSM). Among them, the EC rejected the idea of imposing one-size-fits-all rules on online platforms but said it will consider sector-specific regulation to address specific problems relating to such platforms, including in the area of copyright.