Redesign Of Ebola Treatment Units Draws 1500 Innovations, Including Locally 16/03/2015 by Hillary Muheebwa for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments KAMPALA, UGANDA – In light of the persistence of the Ebola outbreak and the demands it has placed on global infection containment resources and processes, the United States government disaster response community recognised an opportunity to use open innovation to make significant strides in advancing the ability to combat Ebola. The results include a local success story.
Are Generics Companies Using Inter Partes Review To Overturn Patent Court Cases? 13/03/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – Will generics companies use a win under the new inter partes review mechanism in the United States to overturn pharmaceutical patents in court? A top attorney for a pharmaceutical innovator company says they could indeed. Meanwhile, a new analysis of the inter partes review so far shows it may not be as much of a cause for alarm as previously thought.
European Commission Urged To Fix EU Law Before Addressing IPR Protections In Third Countries 09/03/2015 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Efforts to revamp protection for and enforcement of intellectual property rights in non-EU countries are welcome, but the European Commission should get Europe’s IPR house in order first, a new draft report by the European Parliament International Trade (INTA) Committee says. Meanwhile, internal IPR reform is advancing on several fronts, said the EC, which gave Intellectual Property Watch an update on the various measures.
Trade Outlook In 2015: The Race Of The Mega-Regionals 04/03/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For international trade, 2015 will be “a year of work” rather than of finalisation, as Viviane Reding put it. The comment of the former European Commission vice president and Justice Commissioner focussed on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), as she is now the European Parliament’s rapporteur for TISA. The services agreement is still sailing under the radar compared to its bigger cousins, the US-EU bilateral Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Yet “a year of work” might well describe the 2015 agenda for the mega-regional trade negotiations too. Will any of them get to the finish line? A race is on in which the United States and European Union seem to anxiously look to China’s advance while fighting rising opposition at home.
Global Fund Publishes Terms Of Reference Of Equitable Access Initiative 02/03/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An initiative spearheaded by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to ensure equitable access to medicines in particular in middle-income countries now has a dedicated webpage publishing the terms of reference of the initiative. Also available is the list of high-level participants who attended the first meeting of the initiative held last week.
Why The Request By Least Developed Countries For An Extension Of The Transitional Period For Granting And Enforcing Medicines Patents Needs To Be Supported 27/02/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Ellen ‘t Hoen writes: On 24 February 2015 Bangladesh on behalf of the 34 Least Developed Country members (LDCs) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) submitted a request for an extension of the transitional period under article 66.1 TRIPS with respect to pharmaceutical products until the country is no longer classified as LDC.[1] The original extension, set to expire on 1st January 2016, specifically removes the obligation for LDCs to comply with Section 5 (Patents) and Section 7 (Protection of Undisclosed Information) of Part II of TRIPS, including any obligation to enforce rights under these provisions. It is a little known fact that since the adoption of the 2001 Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, LDCs have frequently used the extension in day-to-day procurement of low cost generic medicines, in particular to access medicines needed for the treatment of HIV.
Ebola Crisis Has Severe Impact On AIDS Response In Sierra Leone, UNDP Report Says 27/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment According to an internal report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Fund Partnership team, the Ebola epidemic has virtually halted national HIV efforts in Sierra Leone. In particular, patients stopped their treatments and the supply chain was disrupted.
New Quiet Initiative To Improve Drug Access In Middle-Income Countries, Change Country Classification System 25/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments This week a confidential high-level expert meeting was convened in Geneva to start work on a potential change in the country classification used by global health actors to remedy the growing problem of access to medicines in middle-income countries.
In 21st Century No One Should Die For Lack Of Access To Medicines, Participants At UN Forum Say 23/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Last week’s 2015 Social Forum led by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called for urgent action to facilitate access to medicines. In particular, the functioning of the intellectual property system was put into question. A number of recommendations were drawn by the secretariat after having been identified by participants.
Neuchâtel Event Looks At Swiss Innovation, Competitiveness 20/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEUCHATEL – Switzerland is among the best students of global innovation. It continues to score at the top of global indexes and reports on innovation and competitiveness. At a seminar last week at the University of Neuchâtel, speakers gave their views on that success.