Students, Activists, Swarm To Demand UCLA Drop Indian High Court Patent Claim 06/09/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Thousands of students have urged a major research university in the United States to drop a patent claim in India related to an important cancer medicine, with the aim of making affordable versions available.
New Health Ministry Of Chile Reaffirms Path To Compulsory Licence For Hepatitis C Drugs 04/09/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Last week, Chilean Health Minister Emilio Santelices, appointed by President Piñera – who took office this year – rejected an attempt from company Gilead and a Big Pharma-related association of international drug makers in Chile to put down the resolution 399/2018 declaring public health justifications for the issuing of compulsory licences for sofosbuvir to treat a hepatitis C epidemic in Chile, that was issued by the previous government of Michele Bachelet, writes Luis Villarroel.
African Health Ministers Approve Roadmap For Medicines Access, Framework To End Cholera 03/09/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Health ministers from the World Health Organization Africa region last week endorsed a roadmap for access for the years 2019-2023 concerning areas such as fair pricing, intellectual property management, and supply chain management. The previous day, they pledged to implement key strategies to end cholera outbreaks in the African region by 2030.
USTR: Mexico Agrees To Raise IP Enforcement Standards With The US 27/08/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Mexico and the United States have reached a preliminary agreement to raise standards of enforcement of intellectual property rights, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). Among the terms, the agreement appears to toughen requirements for internet service providers in protecting against copyright theft and extend copyright terms, and might make it harder for Mexico to agree elsewhere to strengthen its protection of geographical indications.
New Dutch Foundation To Address High Medicines Pricing Announces Plan To File Complaint With Competition Authority 27/08/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The newly established Dutch Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation has announced its first action to address unreasonably high medicines prices in the Netherlands. The Foundation will request the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets to look into the price hike for the medicine chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) by the company Leadiant Biosciences Ltd (formerly Sigma-Tau). CDCA is used for the treatment of children and adults with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX), a rare genetic metabolic disease that affects around 60 people in the Netherlands.
USPTO Seeks Comments On Draft Strategic Plan 2018-2022 23/08/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking comments on its draft strategic plan for the years 2018-2022. The draft plan covers a range of goals, including optimizing patent and trademark quality and timeliness, and providing “domestic and global leadership to improve intellectual property policy, enforcement, and protection worldwide.”
Wearable Tech: Intellectual Property Opportunities, Risks 23/08/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In wearable technology, product development converges with information and communication technology, presenting new opportunities for patents, as well as new risks, according to legal experts.
Can A Surge In Activism Defeat American Big Pharma? 22/08/2018 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Vinayak Bhardwaj – Not a day passes in America without news of a drug company raising prices on prescription drugs. Americans pay two to six times more for prescription drugs than those living in other developed countries, who earn the same income.
Counter-Measures – How Startups Can Fight Pirates Without Burning Cash 03/08/2018 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Patent litigation can drain capital during the crucial first few months of launching new technology, a particular problem in the capital-intensive hardware space. Companies need to find creative ways to go after patent thieves without stifling growth or ceding market share, writes Michael A. Nicolas.
Report – Patent Abuse A Leading Cause Of High Drug Prices In US 03/08/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Pharmaceutical companies have created an “untenable” situation by engaging in exploitative patenting practices to extend monopolies, increasing drug prices and delaying competition from more affordable generics, according to a new NGO report analysing drug prices.