WHO-Led Efforts To Boost R&D In Neglected Diseases Jeopardised By Funding Gap 31/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Finding resources to fund research and development for diseases primarily affecting developing and least-developed countries is a continuous challenge. Hopes were raised in 2015 with projects to launch a Global Observatory on Health Research and Development, and a voluntary pooled fund for research and development projects. However, the lack of funding is jeopardizing those initiatives despite some contributions by developed and middle-income countries.
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.
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.
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.
Achieving SDG Health Targets Using ‘The Vital Role Of Law’ 18/01/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Effective laws, including those around intellectual property rights, and an enabling legal environment, are as essential to a healthy society as clean water, a group made up of a representative of the World Health Organization, academics and a legal expert for a civil society group, have asserted while launching a key report.
ARIPO Lines Up IP Enhancing Activities For 2017 13/01/2017 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa – From establishing training schemes, exchange expertise, sharing research, and helping members acquire and develop technology related to intellectual property and shape copyright associated rights, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has set targets for implementation in 2017.
UN Establishes Technology Bank For Least-Developed Countries, Including An IP Bank 06/01/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations has established a “technology bank” for least-developed countries that aims to strengthen the science, technology and innovation capacity of LDCs that includes better management of intellectual property rights.
ARIPO Amends Protocol On Patents, Utility Models And Designs 06/01/2017 by Hillary Muheebwa for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Harare Protocol on Patents, Industrial Designs and Utility Models has been amended. The amendments were adopted by the 40th Session of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Administrative Council, and came into operational effect from 1 January 2017.