Immediate Action For Global Health Plan Called For At WHO Meeting 23/01/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A proposal at the World Health Organization (WHO) for early gains on a global plan for improving treatments for overlooked diseases has been tabled at a high-level meeting this week. Intellectual property rules are among the proposed early actions. The proposal was put forward by Kenya and Switzerland in the […]
Updating Chinese Traditional Medicine Policy Proves Problematic 19/01/2007 by Jia Hepeng for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Jia Hepeng for Intellectual Property Watch BEIJING – The revision of a long-controversial rule on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is stranded amidst heated debates. While the government-led revision committee is analysing its stipulations for future implementation, some experts say the stagnancy is largely a result of the gap between the modern patent system and […]
Interview With Howard Zucker, Senior WHO Official On IP 15/01/2007 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment [Please note: This interview has been republished to clarify the transcription.] Howard Alan Zucker, assistant director general of health technology and pharmaceuticals at the World Health Organization, is among other things in charge of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (referred to as “IGWG”), which was set up by the […]
International Health IP Policy Issues To Be Watched In 2007 09/01/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The year 2006 was a busy one in terms of health policy developments related to intellectual property rights, and a quick look at the events ahead in 2007 shows that the coming year should be no less interesting.
December/January Edition of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 22/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter features the most important news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the IP community at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Geneva missions, regional and national IP offices, industry and non-governmental organisations, plus News Briefs on reports and events that do not […]
Thailand Compulsory License On AIDS Drug Prompts Policy Debate 22/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen After Thailand issued a compulsory license for government production of an HIV/AIDS drug, the patent holder of the product, Merck Sharp & Dohme, has proposed reducing the price by almost two-thirds, local sources said. But Thailand said it wants to see it in writing. “We requested [Merck] to re-propose [it] […]
Grupo de la OMS establece las bases para un Plan de Investigación y Desarrollo para enfermedades desatendidas 22/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Durante una reunión celebrada del 4 al 8 de diciembre entre algunos de los 100 Estados miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y otras partes interesadas, se establecieron las bases de los debates de un plan mundial de provisión de medicamentos para enfermedades que afectan principalmente a […]
Kenyan IP Reform Bill Withdrawn, Could Return In 2007 21/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Proposed changes to Kenya’s intellectual property rules, which could negatively impact the possibility to import cheaper medicines, were recently withdrawn at the last minute, according to local sources who did not rule out the proposal’s re-introduction in 2007. The proposed changes to Kenya’s Industrial Property Act 2001 were included in […]
Premiers pas d’un plan R&D sur les maladies négligées à l’OMS 21/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A l’occasion d’une rencontre qui s’est tenue du 4 au 8 décembre, réunissant des Etats membres de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) et d’autres parties prenantes, un groupe de travail a jeté les bases d’une discussion à grand échelle sur un plan d’action mondial relatif à la distribution de […]
Researcher Proposes System To Promote And Protect TK In China 21/12/2006 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Catherine Saez Although China is the biggest traditional knowledge holder in the world and has been patenting its traditional medicine knowledge since 1993, its existing patent regime does not appear to be able to protect traditional knowledge or its holders, says Xuan Li, research fellow at the World Trade Institute in Bern. In order […]