Biotherapeutic Medicines, A New Frontier, Face Regulatory Issues 24/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Biotherapeutic medicines, engineered by living organisms, have opened a promising path to treat major diseases. Near copies of these medicines, called biosimilars, are slowly coming to market, as the originator products become free of intellectual property rights or data protection. However, some regulatory issues are left to be addressed, in particular in developing countries, according to the pharmaceutical industry and the World Health Organization. For patients, information on those products and their affordability are key, said a patient group representative.
UN High-Level Panel: Ideas For Change To Global Health And IP System Proliferate 19/03/2016 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Public health advocates, academics, patients, governments and others this week presented further ideas to the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines on ways to break the longstanding pattern of expensive medical products around the world as a way to pay for research and development.
High-Level UN Initiative On Global Public Health Gap Holds Landmark Hearing 11/03/2016 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments An initiative of the United Nations secretary general yesterday gathered what could be described as an assembly of many of the world’s best thinkers and practitioners on public health and intellectual property rights. Industry, activists, academics, international organisations, and possibly some governments poured out their views for nearly seven hours – at times coming to tears and tension – shepherded by an astute moderator, as they responded to the call to take a longstanding debate on medicines access and high prices to a breakthrough.
WHO Welcomes UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel, Offers Suggestions 10/03/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization has provided a list of suggestions to the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, highlighting WHO activities in this area and making suggestions on areas the WHO has not yet been able to complete. It also describes several new proposals by WHO, including a global “fair pricing forum,” a pooled health product R&D fund, and a global antibiotic research and development facility.
Zika Virus R&D: No Vaccine Before 3 To 5 Years, Sample Sharing Needs Incentives 10/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments International experts convened by the World Health Organization this week on the Zika virus said vaccine development is a priority for the future but the most pressing need is to get diagnostic and prevention tools. Over 60 groups are hard at work on experimental products, according to the WHO, while a system of incentives to share virus samples is being considered.
WHO: Zika Virus Spreading, R&D Needs Financing, Sample Sharing Discussed 08/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The World Health Organization said today that evidence of the relationship between the Zika virus and neonatal malformations and neurological disorders is growing stronger. The Emergency Committee set up by the WHO at a gathering today issued advice to the WHO director general, including warning pregnant women to avoid travelling to Zika infected countries. Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing on the sharing of the samples of the virus, and on the question of benefit-sharing. And a call was made for research and development to intensify.
WHO To Hold Stakeholder Consultation On Status Of Zika Research Next Week 04/03/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization has announced it will hold a closed-door, three-day consultation with key stakeholders next week in Geneva to discuss the current status of clinical research into the Zika virus.
Alleged R&D Costs: Not A Transparent Driver Of Drug Prices 04/03/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Whether laws enforcing transparency on costs would help curb extortionate drug prices in today’s world is hardly predictable now that pharma companies and their allies are lobbying governments to scupper any rules that would require them to disclose the real R&D costs and profits of their medicines and the rationale for charging what they do, writes Daniele Dionisio.
UNITAID Report On Delinking R&D Costs From Medicines Prices 28/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Delinkage of research and development costs from medicines prices could “vastly expand” access to medicines by drastically dropping costs of the knowledge component of health products, innovative medicines R&D facility UNITAID says in a new report.
UAEM’s Re:Route – New Mapping Tool For Alternative Health R&D Models 25/02/2016 by Priti Patnaik for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Re:Route, a mapping tool that lays out the research and development (R&D) landscape of innovation and financing for medicines, has been launched by the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM). It is a one-stop place for the alternative biomedical research and development landscape.