WHO Board To Discuss Relationship With Industry, Organisations 18/01/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Health Organization has been soul-searching for several years since running into deep debt and seeing private organisations gather influence in global public health policy. Next week, the WHO Board will consider a proposal on how to allow the intergovernmental body work with such organisations and industry without giving up its own independence and oversight role.
Successful WHO Drug Prequalification Programme Deemed At Risk 16/01/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A 12-year-old World Health Organization programme for prequalifying medical products has helped international organisations and others to safely purchase billions of US dollars’ worth of quality medicines per year, but now is at risk due to funding shortages, a new study released today found.
WHO Initiative On Poor Quality Medicines Heads To Board Next Week 15/01/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Health Organization member governments have been working for several years to agree on ways to prevent the spread of dangerous and misleading substandard and fake medical products. Now, they seem to be moving in the direction of concrete action.
Swiss Group Finds Patent-Related Ethical Violations By Pharma Overseas 17/12/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Berne Declaration, a Swiss non-profit, has released results of investigations that found industry-sponsored offshore clinical drug trials in developing countries involve “multiple ethical violations,” a problem increased by the patent-based industry business model.
Medicines Patent Pool Strikes Deal With Bristol-Myers Squibb 12/12/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Medicines Patent Pool today announced a new agreement with biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb for an HIV medicine, which is expected to increase access in 110 developing countries.
Concerns Raised To Global Fund Over Panel On Tiered Medicines Pricing 10/12/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – Public groups this week urged Mark Dybul, head of the Geneva-based Global Fund for HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to reconsider the establishment of a panel to look at tiered pricing for middle income countries, potentially allowing companies to charge them higher prices. And separately, activists reported on progress in South Africa’s HIV strategy.
IPRs An Issue In Latest HIV Treatment Monitoring Test, Group Says 10/12/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – Intellectual property rights represent a hurdle to lower-priced, high quality tests of HIV treatment monitoring in developing countries, public health group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors without Borders) said today.
WIPO, OECD, Lessig Hail CC 3.0 Intergovernmental Licence 09/12/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization has issued a press release hailing the completion of a Creative Commons licence for intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) to offer their published material for others to share with minimal restrictions. WIPO was joined by a wide range of other IGOs such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), numerous United Nations agencies like the World Health Organization, and Creative Commons founder Prof. Larry Lessig.
Experts At WHO Select Eight Projects To Boost Medical R&D For Developing Countries 06/12/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A group of experts summoned to select projects presenting innovative ways to foster research and development of medical products for diseases primarily affecting developing countries at the World Health Organization this week finished their work and selected eight projects out of 22. Civil society was quick to express concern that the selected projects do not propose a new way forward. Now WHO member states must narrow the list down further.
Medical R&D Projects Proposed By WHO Regions Show Diversity 26/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The regions of the World Health Organization earlier this month submitted their proposals for projects to boost research and development of health technologies for diseases disproportionately affecting developing countries and lacking a market incentive. A shortlist of projects will be selected by a group of WHO-chosen experts at a 3-5 December meeting in Geneva.