Guest Post: Nine Mandatory Licences Allow Greater Access To Medicines In Ecuador 12/09/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment What is a mandatory licence? Mandatory licenses are a legal remedy within the intellectual property flexibilities provided by the World Trade Organization allowing a government to grant permission to third parties to produce a patented product or use a patented process without the consent of the patentee, in order to address a priority status for the country.
Flexible IPR Approach For European Joint Innovation Projects 07/09/2014 by Magda Voltolini for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Applicants to the European “Innovation Communities” initiative have until 10 September to submit joint innovation proposals in the areas of healthy aging and raw materials. The aim is to create new organisations compliant with the European grant programme Horizon 2020, which will operate under flexible intellectual property rights’ policies in collaborative innovation projects.
WHO: Fight Ebola Now, Solve Patent Issues Later 06/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The world and the global health community have been taken by surprise by the worst outbreak of Ebola so far. The World Health Organization today (5 September) said a vaccine could be available in November 2014 if proven safe. So far, according to the WHO, intellectual property issues have not acted as a barrier to accessing potential treatments and vaccines, and the focus for now is on emergency measures to find health solutions.
India’s IP Policy On Stage As Modi Heads To US 05/09/2014 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Will India’s new government bring in radical changes in the country’s intellectual property rights regime? That question has generated enormous buzz but no definitive answer ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power with a decisive mandate in May this year. [Update: the Indian government has announced that it has begun a process for a comprehensive IPR policy over the next six months, including a government think tank. See report here. The government website is here.]
WHO Health Specialists Meeting To Evaluate Potential Ebola Therapies and Vaccines 03/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization this week is holding a consultation on potential Ebola therapies and vaccines.
Biosimilar Medicines Need Strong Regulation, IP Crucial For Innovation, Pharma Says 29/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Biosimilar medicines might prove to be a new reservoir for innovation for the pharmaceutical industry. However, the complexity of their manufacture needs a stringent regulatory framework, according to the industry.
WHO Raises Its Voice To Underline Health Effects Of Climate Change 27/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization this week is holding its first conference on health and climate change. The major objective of the conference is to raise awareness on the impact of climate change on health, according to the WHO, which said it aims to strengthen its voice in the debate.
Médecins Sans Frontières Warns About IP Inclusion In Asian FTA 27/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The inclusion of intellectual property in the ongoing negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership between 16 countries, most of them Asian, is raising concerns about “TRIPS-plus” measures that could jeopardise generic drugs production in India, according to Médecins Sans Frontières.
Market Failure, Not IP, The Issue In Ebola Treatment Shortage, WHO Says 27/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Faced with the worst outbreak of Ebola since its discovery some 40 years ago, the world is scrambling for treatments. A World Health Organization-convened panel of experts has decided it is ethical to use experimental treatments. Why is there no treatment available even after 40 years? Market failure, not intellectual property rights, says the WHO.
World Drug Regulatory Authorities Meet In Brazil; Biosimilars In Focus 26/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Drug regulatory authorities are meeting this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to discuss global regulatory issues such as vaccine regulation, falsified products, and pharmacovigilance. A “pre-conference” focused on biosimilars, with civil society warning on barriers to access to those products.