Main Recommendations Of UN High-Level Panel On Access To Medicines Presented At WTO 07/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An event held at the World Trade Organization last week walked through key recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, including strategies for moving some of them forward.
Legal Swords Sharpened In Kenya-Manchester Cancer Drug Rights Dispute 07/03/2017 by Maina Waruru for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — A dispute between Kenyan researchers and the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, over ownership of a cancer discovered after successful clinical trials in Kenya finally seems headed to courts.
Global Fund Names Interim Executive Director Starting In June 04/03/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Board of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has named Marijke Wijnroks of the Netherlands as interim executive director starting on 1 June until a new director can be selected. The international health financing facility this week decided to restart its director search from scratch after questions arose with the final two candidates to replace current Executive Director Mark Dybul, who will return to the United States at the end of his four-year term on 31 May.
Australia’s Indigenous Culture Event at WIPO Showcases Human Rights Candidacy 03/03/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The creativity-oriented UN World Intellectual Property Organization is often at its best when displaying the colorfully multicultural nature of its membership.
What Is Fair Pricing For Medicines? WHO-Netherlands Forum Aims To Find Out 01/03/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Public health stakeholders – and just about everyone else – may take notice of a meeting planned for May in the Netherlands, as it could offer the beginning of a new approach to pharmaceutical costs. High drug prices have become a ‘kitchen table’ issue in countries of all economic sizes recently, and the World Health Organization is teaming up with the Dutch government to address it in a new and practical way.
A Look At Latest Figures On R&D For Neglected Diseases 01/03/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Financing for research and development into so-called neglected diseases – those predominantly affecting lower-income populations – rose recently mainly due to the Ebola outbreak, and private sector contributions represent a bigger share, according to the latest available data from a Gates Foundation-supported database.
Global Fund Hits Reset On Executive Director Search 28/02/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is deliberating on how to start over on its search for a new executive director after questions arose near the end of the process.
More Transparency In Medical Product Prices Discussed At Event 24/02/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The lack of access to medical products has spread from being a developing country problem to a global one as prices are now too high even for developed country patients and health systems for some medicines. An event at the Graduate Institute Global Public Health Centre yesterday was an opportunity to explore these issues.
German-Backed Report Lays Out Strategy For R&D Into New Antibiotics 23/02/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In the face of the lack of attractiveness of investing in research for new antibiotics for the pharmaceutical industry, and the general lack of funding for research and development for novel antibiotics, a new report commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Health calls for countries to take action. In particular, the report proposes a global union for research and development, a global research fund, and a global launch reward. And access and pricing are key components of the strategy, it says.
New WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Seen Benefiting Developing Nations, Global Trade 23/02/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Multilateral institutions have received a lift with the realization of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement that is expected to provide a boost to sluggish international commerce by cutting out clogging regulations. Image Credits: Peter Kenny