WHO Touts Its Past Work On Improving Access To Medicines 11/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization today published an item entitled, Access to medicines: making market forces serve the poor, a chapter from its report ‘Ten years in public health 2007-2017’ of outgoing WHO Director General Margaret Chan.
Shortage Of Affordable Insulin: Should WHO Extend Prequalification To Biosimilars? 10/05/2017 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The WHO last week announced plans to explore options for prequalifying insulin, a process that already assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products, such as tuberculosis and malaria drugs. The WHO is considering whether to extend the prequalification process to manufacturers creating me-too versions of insulins, more commonly known as biosimilars.
US, EU Diverge On Medical Diagnostic Patents 10/05/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A recent article in the journal Nature Biotechnology finds that since a key United States Supreme Court decision, the European Union and United States have diverged in their patent filings for medical diagnostics.
MSF Warns Of Threats To Public Health In Asian Trade Agreement IP Proposals 09/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The 18th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement negotiations is taking place this week in Manila, Philippines. Health activists warn that Japan and South Korea are pushing for measures that go beyond international trade rules on intellectual property, including extending patent terms and data exclusivity in countries such as India, a primary source of cheaper generic medicines.
The True Believer: An Interview With New IFPMA Director General Thomas Cueni 08/05/2017 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has long been at the centre of global public health policy in Geneva, representing industry from around the world. Now at a critical moment of change in the policymaking machinery, a new leader, Thomas Cueni of Switzerland, has taken over. Intellectual Property Watch recently sat down with him to discuss his views and vision going forward, and discovered his intellectual pragmatism and diverse experience which promise to open an ambitious new era for the association and global health policy.
Plain Packaging For Tobacco Products: WTO Dispute Settlement Body Allegedly Backs Australia 05/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments According to many media this morning, citing anonymous sources, the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body has reached a decision in a dispute challenging Australia’s tobacco product plain packaging law. Australia appears to have won the case. The WTO is non-committal and says only a “confidential interim report” has been circulated. Australia is not commenting.
WHO Members Urged To Support Resolution Delinking Cancer Drug Prices From R&D Costs 04/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments A group of civil society organisations and health experts have sent a letter to delegates to this month’s annual World Health Assembly urging support for a study on the delinkage of the costs of research and development from the prices of cancer medicines. Member states reportedly met on the issue today and are still undecided.
WHO Project To Prequalify Biosimilar Cancer Medicines Aims At Increased Affordability 04/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization announced today that it will launch a pilot project in 2017 for prequalifying cancer biosimilar medicines, with the intent of lowering prices on some of the most expensive cancer treatments.
New Open Source Project Enlists Students To Find Cures For Neglected Diseases 03/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has launched a collaborative project with five universities in India, United Kingdom, and the United States to help with the research on a debilitating neglected disease.
New R&D Funding Model For TB, Antimicrobial Resistance 01/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Health Organization Bulletin this month has an article about the need for new models of research and development for tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance. The article describes a new funding framework called the 3P Project.