Beyond The Obvious – Direct And Indirect Territorial Coverage Of MPP/ViiV Voluntary License For Dolutegravir 24/05/2017 by Brook Baker for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Pursuant to a license negotiated by the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) with ViiV Healthcare (ViiV), an important new antiretroviral medicine, dolutegravir (DTG), will soon be available via generic competition in all low- and lower-middle-income countries, and a significant number of upper-middle-income countries as well. DTG is a highly recommended integrase inhibitor which highly effective, durable, inexpensive to produce, and relatively safe with few side effects. It is already an alternative WHO recommended first-line medicine and will probably become the global standard of care following trials on use of DTG to treat pregnant women and people with TB.[1] But until the MPP can succeed in getting inclusive licensing terms covering all low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), this unique clause in the MPP-ViiV license should be adopted in future licenses, as it is a best practice to date in terms of expansive coverage, writes Brook Baker.
Draft Cancer Resolution Might Be Set For Approval At World Health Assembly 19/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment According to sources, countries have agreed in the nick of time on a draft resolution on cancer prevention, control, and access to cancer medicines, and in particular the price of new cancer medicines, to be examined at the World Health Assembly next week.
March-in Rights: A Lost Opportunity To Lower US Drug Prices 18/05/2017 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 17 Comments It appears not just unfair, but absurdly so. The US government paid for research that produced a patented drug, the patents were licensed exclusively to a Japanese firm, and that firm is now committing price discrimination against the US. Astellas Pharma is selling its anti-prostate cancer drug, Xtandi, for over $129,000 per year per patient in the United States – triple the price of the drug in Japan. Alas, this situation is not unusual. Many drugs that were financed by US taxpayers are sold in the US at exorbitant prices, but are much cheaper in other high-income industrialized nations. This differential price problem could be solved easily. However, the US government has consistently refused to exercise its march-in rights in order to lower drug prices.
Major Research Funders, Institutions Pledge Transparency In Clinical Trials 18/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment More transparency on clinical trials is expected after major research funders, research institutions, and international health groups agreed that the research they fund or support will publicly release results of clinical trials.
IFPMA Priorities At WHA: Election, Antibiotics, Cancer, Pandemics 17/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The new head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has hit the ground running in Geneva, and is weighing in on a variety of policy issues, this week providing a list of priorities for the research-based pharma industry at the upcoming annual World Health Assembly.
World Health Assembly Topic: Pandemic Flu Financing, Virus Sharing, Extension 17/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment There are many who see the World Health Organization mechanism to prepare and face the next influenza pandemic and insure availability of treatments as a success. However, some questions remain.
Brussels Conference On Innovation, Research and Competition In EU 12/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An academic conference this month will explore issues related to innovation, research and competition in the European Union, addressing topics such as 5G, big data, patents and standards.
WHO, Stakeholders Take ‘First Step’ On Fair Pricing For Medicines 12/05/2017 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Health Organization has concluded a major one-day forum on fair pricing of medicines, bringing a wide range of stakeholders together in Amsterdam and coming up with several possible actions for the way ahead. Key points of discussion included a definition of fair pricing, moving away from value-based pricing, delinkage of price from research and development costs, and greater transparency, according to participants.
WHO Studies On Local Pharma Production Provide Key Contrasts Between China, India 11/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Two new studies published by the World Health Organization provide insight on the production of pharmaceutical products in India and China. According to the studies, China has a substantial local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector which the Chinese government is closely linking to its policy objective of universal health care. India, the main global provider of generic medicines is not pursuing a comparable focus on universal health care. India is increasingly faced with Chinese pharmaceutical sector competition, with China being its main provider of commoditized active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
US, EU Diverge On Medical Diagnostic Patents 10/05/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A recent article in the journal Nature Biotechnology finds that since a key United States Supreme Court decision, the European Union and United States have diverged in their patent filings for medical diagnostics.