Silberschmidt To Join WHO As Senior Adviser To Director General 30/08/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Gaudenz Silberschmidt, head of international affairs in Switzerland’s public health office for the past decade, has been nominated to become senior adviser in the World Health Organization Office of the Director-General. He will have a special focus on the reform process taking place at the cash-strapped UN agency.
WHO Hopes For “Domino Effect” Of Australian Ruling In Favour Of Tobacco Plain Packaging 15/08/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The director of the World Health Organization, the global public health body, today vigorously applauded the ruling by Australia’s high court upholding the Australian government’s upcoming ban on trademarked labels on tobacco packages. The case pits international trade interests against public health interests, and the WHO said it hopes today’s ruling will have a “domino effect” for many other countries considering such bans.
Global Pharma Calls On ICANN To Act Against Online Counterfeits 28/07/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The international pharmaceutical industry this week released a policy statement targeting counterfeit medicines on the internet. Among the recommendations was for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to join the fight.
WHO Report Details Accountability In Director Chan’s First Term 02/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan was re-elected for another term at the annual May World Health Assembly. Now the WHO has issued a “report card” showing how she kept her promises during the first term. This includes a range of steps to ensure new drugs are affordable and accessible, even if intellectual property rights make them high-priced.
Licensing, Generic Competition Needed To Drive Down HIV Drug Prices, Speakers Say 28/06/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The accessibility and affordability of drugs in developing countries depend on robust generic competition and would benefit from greater transparency in the terms and conditions of licensing agreements, the acting head of the Medicines Patent Pool said on a panel at the World Intellectual Property Organization that included a speaker from the Indian generics industry and a representative of Gilead Sciences.
If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em: New Industry Effort A Jab At Patent Pool? 21/06/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new pharmaceutical industry initiative aimed at improving access to HIV treatments in least-developed countries is raising questions as to how it will fit with the Medicines Patent Pool, an existing group with a similar mandate. As an informal meeting on the new initiative kicks off this week in New Delhi, scrutiny will be paid to whether the initiative’s drivers are several companies that have declined to negotiate with the patent pool and whether it is a good-faith effort to help the greatest number of patients.
WHO Paper: How To Guard Against Tobacco Companies – And Trade Law 20/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization has published a paper that explains to policymakers and others how to take measures to protect public health against tobacco while staying within the bounds of international trade and investment law, under intense industry pressure. Key aspects of the report deal with intellectual property rights policy, as it relates to international trade.
Governments, WHO, Reveal Industry’s Back-Channel Battle Against Tobacco Legislation 30/05/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The shadow of the tobacco industry was present at last week’s annual World Health Assembly, featuring the villain in what World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan called a theatre of the absurd. The tactics of the “evil industry,” as she called it, aimed at undermining countries’ efforts to implement tobacco control legislations were illustrated with concrete country examples at a side event during the week.
World Health Assembly: WHO Carves Out Leadership Role In “Vaccine Decade” 28/05/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With a generous pledge and a grand vision, Bill Gates launched the “Decade of Vaccines” two years ago. By endorsing a “Global Vaccine Action Plan” during the World Health Assembly, the world’s health authority stands as the lead agency in advancing the initiative.
World Health Assembly: Member States Call For Acceleration On Pandemic Flu Preparedness 26/05/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment One year since the adoption of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, member states emphasised the importance of bio-sharing initiative and in some in cases raised concerns about the pace of implementation.