Resolution On WHO Work With Non-State Actors Down To Wire 27/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With the end of the annual World Health Assembly looming tomorrow, member states are working away behind closed doors to finalise a resolution on how the World Health Organization shall work with outside actors going forward.
Against Microbial Resistance Peril, WHA Delegates Discuss Global Solutions, Approve Report 27/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment According to a new report, by 2050, some 10 million lives could be lost a year due to antimicrobial resistance. This is an issue which has been central to this year’s World Health Assembly, and is of global consequence. Delegates gathered for the occasion noted a report by the World Health Organization secretariat on the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance adopted last year and options to develop a global stewardship framework to try to limit the use of antibiotics and develop new ones.
National And Regional Initiatives To Spur Research For New Antibiotics 27/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A side event to the World Health Assembly organised by a number of delegations on antibiotic research and innovation reflected the deep global concern about antimicrobial resistance and the lack of candidates to replace what was once considered as a miracle of modern medicine.
Shift In Discussions About R&D At This Week’s World Health Assembly 26/05/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Public health advocates – and many nations – had high hopes that this year’s World Health Assembly could finally agree on some alternative ways to fund research and development that leads to affordable medical products by de-linking R&D costs from prices, through the long-awaited discussion of a landmark 2012 report of a WHO expert group on medical R&D. This week, that discussion has spread across the highest profile topics of the week such as antimicrobial resistance and emergencies, but some are concerned that the public health safeguards recommended by the expert group may be being left behind.
WHA: Pandemic Flu Preparedness Framework Praised; Vaccine Production Still Short 26/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Adopted five years ago, the World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework is currently undergoing its first review. Member states gathered in committee at the World Health Assembly yesterday mostly expressed support for the framework, and took note of a report by the WHO secretariat.
Amending Pharmaceutical Industry Practices Can Build Trust, Panellists Say 26/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At a side event to this week’s World Health Assembly, GlaxoSmithKline detailed measures taken by the company to dispel the perception of conflict of interest, and build trust, including amending the ways its sales forces operate, and no longer paying speakers at scientific congresses, and said it wants to provide leadership on the issue. Patients and physicians associations call for mainstreaming those practices.
Leaked EU Document Lays Out Major Evaluation Of EU Drug Pricing 25/05/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The 28 European Union member governments are preparing to request the European Commission to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the availability and affordability of EU medicinal products that could lead to changes in R&D and pricing models. An apparent first-of-its-kind, the assessment would look at market and data exclusivity, supplementary protection certificates, and intellectual property issues, according to an alleged copy of the draft Council conclusions obtained by Intellectual Property Watch.
Innovation And Access: Fission Or Fusion? Interview With Tim Wilsdon, CRA Vice President 25/05/2016 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the light of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, this series of sponsored articles challenges experts to give their views on the policies that best support the development of solutions to societies’ greatest challenges and how enabling policy environments, including IP systems, influence the development and flow of new technologies and services in different sectors, fields of technology, and jurisdictions. The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors. Below is an interview with Tim Wilsdon, Vice President, CRA.
Unaffordable Medicines Now Global Issue; System Needs Change, Panellists Say 25/05/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments At a side event to this week’s annual World Health Assembly, a member of the Netherlands Ministry of Health delivered an unexpected speech on access to medicines, calling for more clarity in the setting of medicine prices, looking inside and outside of the patent system for solutions, and praising de-linkage. Other panellists viewed partnerships as a key ingredient to fill research and development gaps. And a representative from the Gates Foundation advised against a hasty switch to new system.
Countries ‘Disappointed’ With WHO Reform Progress 25/05/2016 by Mara Pillinger for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization secretariat this week reported to its member states on progress made in implementing sweeping programmatic, governance, and management reforms. The report? WHO has made progress, but there is still a long way to go. Member states, meanwhile, used the opportunity to express concern about the way it is going.