WHO Advisory Group Report On Fair Pricing Forum Released 22/03/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The report from a meeting of a World Health Organization informal advisory group on challenges of medicines pricing and organising a Fair Pricing Forum this spring has been made public. The report shows the analysis and assertions of the diverse group, as well as questions and plans to take forward.
Chile: Civil Society, Members Of Congress Urge Issuance Of Compulsory Licences 21/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Representatives of Chilean civil society and Congress this week presented the Chilean health minister with a proposal urging the government to take advantage of international trade law and a newly passed congressional resolution to issue compulsory licences on high-priced drugs for hepatitis C and prostate cancer.
Do US Patent Incentives Need To Change To Get The ‘Cancer Moonshot’ Off The Ground? 16/03/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In December, the United States Congress passed a bill with a monumental goal: engaging the private sector to work with each other, and with the government, to develop new treatments for cancer. The mechanics of cancer research, however, may require fundamental changes to our patent system if the initiative is to be successful. Intellectual Property Watch recently sat down with Jacob Sherkow, associate professor of law and affiliated faculty at the Innovation Center for Law and Technology at New York University Law School, to discuss challenges to overcome to get the Moonshot off the ground.
Amendment To The Polish Reimbursement Act For Medical Devices: Challenges For The Market 10/03/2017 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Polish Ministry of Health has commenced consultations on an amendment to the act on reimbursements for drugs, foods intended for particular nutritional uses and medical devices. This bill envisions an entirely new system of refunds (full and partial), fixed maximum prices and fixed maximum margins for medical devices based partly on HTA, similar to the system currently in place for pharmaceuticals. The current wording leads one to believe that gradually all groups of medical devices could be introduced into this system. If the amendment is passed in the current shape, it has the potential to transform the medical devices market in Poland.
UN High-Level Panel On Access To Medicines Takes Next Step At Human Rights Council 09/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The United Nations Human Rights Council held a panel discussion yesterday to exchange views on good practices and key challenges relevant to access to medicines. The panel gave a large part of the discussion to the recent report of the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, much to the chagrin of the European Union and the United States.
Workshop: How To Tackle The High Cost Of Prescription Drugs In The US 09/03/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A recent workshop held on the doorstep of policymakers in the United States drew speakers from academic and activist circles to examine the mechanisms in US law which could help lead to lower prescription drug prices.
Paint Medical Patents Green Or Improve Efficacy 08/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Danny Friedmann writes: When the holder of a medical patent finds herself on the patent cliff, staring into the abyss of a patentless and incomeless future, she will become very ingenious in applying for new uses, new pathways of delivery and new doses of the known substance. Painting a new layer of green over the patent that must give the impression of a new invention. It is the duty of the legislator to limit this kind of behavior if it stifles access to generic medicines. How can the interests of patent holders and patients be reconciled?
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.
WHO Director General Candidates Showcase Campaigns To The World 07/03/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments It has been a gruelling campaign for the three final candidates for the post of director general of the World Health Organization and their latest public foray was dubbed a “moderated discussion.”
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.