WHO Prequalifies First Generic Hepatitis C Drug And First HIV Self-Test 21/07/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the days before this month’s AIDS conference being held in Paris, the World Health Organization has announced the prequalification of the first generic version of sofosbuvir, a “critical” medicine for treating hepatitis C. Treatment for hepatitis C under patent has been notoriously priced at extreme high levels, putting it out of reach of patients in economies of all sizes.
Six Inconvenient Truths About NAFTA Renegotiations 21/07/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA’s) standards on patents is not good news for Canada. Any give by Canada will be costly not only to our health care system, but also to Canadian innovators, write Jean-Frédéric Morin and Richard Gold.
WIPO Proposes 10 Percent Cut In Governments’ Annual Contributions 20/07/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization has proposed a 10 percent reduction in the contributions its member states make to the UN agency. The proposal, which met with some unanswered questions from WIPO member states at a committee meeting last week, is said to reflect the agency’s robust finances and will be taken up again in September. The move would shrink government contributions to WIPO’s overall budget to less than 5 percent of its total revenues. Member states’ first reading of the proposed budget by WIPO for 2018/2019 also led to some amendments in programmes, notably new indicators of progress.
To Print Or Not To Print: Innovation And IP Issues In 3D Printing 19/07/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment 3D printing used to be an expensive product design tool, but it is quickly becoming an affordable and accessible technology. First emerging in the 1980s, the availability of low-cost, high-performance 3D printers has put the technology firmly within reach of consumers. While this provides a number of opportunities for designers and manufacturers, there is also concern around the impact on IP rights, writes Jia Li.
Temporary Compulsory License For Antiretroviral Drug Upheld By German Court 17/07/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment MUNICH — The German Federal Supreme Court in a decision drawing significant attention on 11 July upheld a temporary compulsory licence granted for the HIV drug Isentress (X ZB 2/17). The antiretroviral drug, based on raltegravir, has been the object of a prolonged court fight between Japanese drug company Shionogi and its US competitor Merck.
Arduous Discussions At WIPO For New Country/Regional Offices, No Winners Yet 15/07/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Attracting a World Intellectual Property Organization external office appears to be a critical priority for a number of countries that have put forward their candidacy for four possible new openings. During the WIPO Program and Budget Committee this week, some of those candidates delivered presentations highlighting their most striking assets, such as bridging continents, region, and economic blocs. But discussions could not lead to the chosen winners this week.
3P Project Enables Radical Change In R&D For TB Treatment 15/07/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new project that stimulates the development of affordable and effective drug regimens to treat tuberculosis (TB) is catching notice in policy circles.
WIPO’s Gurry: Artificial Intelligence, Gene Editing Latest ‘Winners’ In Innovation 13/07/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The main winners of innovation are technologies that enable market application, with gene editing and artificial intelligence as two examples, Francis Gurry, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, told a panel discussion last week. Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), said at the same event that everybody benefits from innovation.
Access To Medicines For All By 2030: New WHO Strategic Framework Sets Vision 13/07/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Access to affordable and quality medicines for all is one of the major commitments of the World Health Organization, and its new medicines and health products strategic framework for the next 15 years calls for new research and development (R&D) models, including delinkage of the R&D costs from the price of products, and fair pricing.
WIPO Budget First Reading: SDGs, External Offices, Possible Treaty Negotiation 12/07/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization members this week have discussed the first draft of the budget of the organisation for the biennium 2018/2019. Questions have been asked about how WIPO is contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, how much WIPO committees and external offices will cost, and how WIPO can help developing countries increase their IP development.