What Is Fair Pricing For Medicines? WHO-Netherlands Forum Aims To Find Out 01/03/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Public health stakeholders – and just about everyone else – may take notice of a meeting planned for May in the Netherlands, as it could offer the beginning of a new approach to pharmaceutical costs. High drug prices have become a ‘kitchen table’ issue in countries of all economic sizes recently, and the World Health Organization is teaming up with the Dutch government to address it in a new and practical way.
A Look At Latest Figures On R&D For Neglected Diseases 01/03/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Financing for research and development into so-called neglected diseases – those predominantly affecting lower-income populations – rose recently mainly due to the Ebola outbreak, and private sector contributions represent a bigger share, according to the latest available data from a Gates Foundation-supported database.
Rare Diseases: Pharma Industry Calls For Collaboration, Political Commitment For Research 01/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Big Pharma wants to develop treatments for rare diseases, with government support. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) this week launched a new report describing policy priorities to increase research and development into rare diseases.
Journalists Surveilled By German Intelligence Agency 28/02/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The German Federal Intelligence Agency (Bundesnachrichtendienst, BND) spied on foreign journalists, according to a report of German magazine “Der Spiegel”. A document obtained by the magazine showed that the BND had taps on at least 50 phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses of journalists from the BBC, Reuters and the New York Times.
Many Questions On Potential Multilateral Investment Court System 27/02/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Commission is pushing ahead with its Multilateral Investment Court (MIC) project, but called requests to eliminate specialised investor protection mechanisms unrealistic during a dedicated meeting with stakeholders in Brussels today.
Will US Follow UK Lead In Case On Copyright And Interoperability? 27/02/2017 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a case pitting copyright protection against competition, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit must decide whether World Programming Limited (WPL) violated SAS Institute’s copyright by copying software interfaces that enable interoperability. WPL has already won the argument in the UK and in Europe’s highest court. The case has drawn strong support on both sides from the tech sector and a civil liberties group.
More Transparency In Medical Product Prices Discussed At Event 24/02/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The lack of access to medical products has spread from being a developing country problem to a global one as prices are now too high even for developed country patients and health systems for some medicines. An event at the Graduate Institute Global Public Health Centre yesterday was an opportunity to explore these issues.
German-Backed Report Lays Out Strategy For R&D Into New Antibiotics 23/02/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In the face of the lack of attractiveness of investing in research for new antibiotics for the pharmaceutical industry, and the general lack of funding for research and development for novel antibiotics, a new report commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Health calls for countries to take action. In particular, the report proposes a global union for research and development, a global research fund, and a global launch reward. And access and pricing are key components of the strategy, it says.
European Commission Public Consultation On Plan To Fight Antimicrobial Resistance 21/02/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Commission has launched a call for comments on its proposed plan to help EU members fight antimicrobial resistance.
Health Security An Integral Part Of International Security, Experts Warn 20/02/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Microsoft founder and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-Chair Bill Gates called on governments gathered at the annual Munich Security Conference this week to not “ignore the link between health security and international security.”