Amended TRIPS Agreement Close To Ratification, Says WTO’s Azevêdo 25/11/2016 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment For Roberto Azevêdo, director general of the World Trade Organization, an amendment to the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement that affects access to pharmaceuticals for developing countries remains a priority of the WTO.
Eduardo Pisani To Step Down From IFPMA’s Helm In January 23/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 31 Comments The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) today announced that its director general is stepping down at the end of January.
WHO Releases Reports On Pandemic Framework Review, Implications Of Nagoya For Public Health 23/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The World Health Organization has published two advanced documents to be presented at the organisation’s Executive Board meeting in January. One relates to the review of the WHO mechanism for pandemic influenza preparedness, and the other to the public health implications of the implementation of an international treaty on genetic resources.
UN Secretary-General Urges Action On High-Level Panel Report On Medicines Access 22/11/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today issued a message praising the “milestone” report of a High-Level Panel on access to medicines he set up a year ago to address the continuing problem of medicines prices being too high for many in the world to afford, and the lack of access to quality medicines for many. In his message, he called on governments to review the report and its recommendations, and to chart a way forward to address the problem of lack of access to medicines and health technologies.
WHO Director Candidates Nabarro, Szócska Speak On Medicines Prices And IP 22/11/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment Candidates from around the world vying to be the next director general of the World Health Organization in recent weeks have presented their views to member states on a range of public health issues. Two of the six candidates answered a question put to them by Intellectual Property Watch relating to medicines prices, innovation and intellectual property. Here are their answers.
UNAIDS Report: Less Deaths From HIV But Growing Resistance Creates Great Risk 21/11/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new report from UNAIDS shows that antiretroviral therapy is now accessed by 18.2 million people living with HIV, and fewer people are dying from the virus infection. However, there is stalled progress on HIV prevention among adults, and growing antiretroviral drug resistance among people living with HIV over a long time.
New Alliance To Hold UN And Others Accountable For Antimicrobial Resistance Commitments 16/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new international alliance to support the United Nations Resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance was launched this week. The Conscience of Antimicrobial Resistance Accountability (CARA) aims to bring together organisations committing to reporting on mutually agreed upon indicators in countries around the world, and to hold the UN and other stakeholders accountable to their commitments.
Access To Medicine Index Finds Progress In Pharma’s Efforts 14/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Access to Medicine Index 2016 was published today, analysing the top 20 research-based pharmaceutical companies. The index looks at how those companies make medicines, vaccines and diagnostics more accessible in low- and middle-income countries. The index found progress in companies’ efforts to improve access but little support for flexibilities enshrined in international trade rules.
WTO ‘Paragraph 6’ System For Affordable Medicine: Time For Change? 14/11/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A range of practitioners and representatives in the manufacture of medicines, intergovernmental officials, academics and civil society representatives last week gave diverse views on the effectiveness of a waiver to international trade rules intended to ease shipments of affordable medicines to low-income countries.
WTO Members Discuss UN High-Level Report On Medicines Access That WHO Declined To Discuss 10/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee this week discussed the report of United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on access to medicines which offered recommendations regarding the use of intellectual property in international trade. Developing countries taking the floor accentuated the use of flexibilities under trade rules, and the World Health Organization gave an overview of how its activities follow the panel’s recommendations, and its future projects. Civil society meanwhile criticised the WHO’s decision to dismiss a request by some developing countries to include discussions on the UN report at the next Executive Board Meeting.