US Army Extends Comment Period On Proposed Exclusive Zika Licence 27/01/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The US Army has extended the comment period on the proposed licence to pharmaceutical company Sanofi on technology necessary to create a vaccine for the Zika virus. This is the second extension, and will permit public comments through 10 March 2017.
Antimicrobial Resistance At WHO: Accelerating National Plans, Ensuring Accessibility 27/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The rising threat of “super bugs,” bacteria resistant to existing antibiotics, was in discussion at the World Health Organization this week. Concerns were voiced about the slow pace of national action plan implementation to improve the careful use of antibiotics. Meanwhile some developing countries and civil society called for priority to be given to accessibility and affordability to new antibiotics.
WHO Fine-Tunes Work On Epidemics In Debates On IHRs, R&D Blueprint 27/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Ebola outbreak spurred actions from the World Health Organization in terms of how to deal with emergencies and also getting medicines and vaccines to patients in emergency situations. The secretariat presented an implementation plan for the International Health Regulations, and a report on its recent blueprint on research and development for potentially epidemic diseases at its Executive Board meeting this week. The United States sought to limit the scope of WHO’s work on R&D in this context.
WHO Director General Candidates Hold Colorful Meeting With The Press 26/01/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The three remaining candidates to be director general of the World Health Organization today met at length with UN journalists in the WHO and highlighted their plans for reform including finding new sources of funding for the continually cash-strapped UN agency that now could face threats from the US president to cut US funding.
US Could Agree To Slight Funding Increase At WHO Despite Trump Threats 26/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments President Donald Trump’s promise to cut US funding to United Nations agencies has sent shock waves around the UN, but in a budget discussion at the World Health Organization Executive Board meeting today, the US delegation did not reject outright a call by WHO to increase government contributions to the organisation. Meanwhile, the WHO budget shows a deficit and many WHO members asked the WHO how it plans to remedy the situation and find solutions to reach financial sustainability.
WHO Director Candidates Down To Three, Europe Drops In Ranking 25/01/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The number of candidates to be the next director general of the World Health Organization was reduced from five to three tonight, with Ethiopia, Pakistan and the United Kingdom still in the running. But in a race as unpredictable as this one, delegates and observers in the hallway were both surprised and not surprised by the outcome as Europe fell to the bottom of the list.
Medicines Patent Pool TB Deal Praised But Raises Concerns Of Affordability 25/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Medicines Patent Pool announced today that it has signed a license agreement with Johns Hopkins University for a candidate tuberculosis treatment. Although seen as a major step forward by public health groups, they said the agreement does not include guarantees that the treatment that could be brought to the market would be affordable for all.
WHO Board Trims Candidates For Director To Five; Two More Cuts Tomorrow 24/01/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments World Health Organization members took the first step toward choosing the next director general of the UN health agency today as they narrowed the candidates to five. There will be interviews held with the remaining candidates tomorrow, after which the list will be reduced to three until the May World Health Assembly.
It’s Official: TRIPS Health Amendment In Effect, First Ever To A WTO Agreement 23/01/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments More than a decade after World Trade Organization member states approved the first-ever legal amendment to a WTO agreement, the change to the international intellectual property agreement has entered into effect. Five more members ratified the amendment in recent days, bringing supporters over the minimum needed to put into effect the amendment aimed at boosting exports of medical products made under compulsory licence.
WHO Board: UN Report On Medicines Too Hot; DG Candidates To Be Narrowed 23/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments At the opening of the World Health Organization Executive Board meeting today, a call by India for an agenda item on the report of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines was denied. Meanwhile, WHO’s director general underlined the success of the organisation over the last year, including new financing arrangements with industry groups to finance the WHO Prequalification Programme. But all eyes are riveted to the election process for the new WHO director general, as three out of the six candidates are expected to be short-listed this week.