See https://keionline.org/transparency for links to research materials and blogs.
Background Memo on Transparency Norms
2019. February 18. Note prepared for WHA negotiations on transparency resolution
Negotiating texts for WHA 72, on transparency.
February 1, 2019. Draft resolution, as sent to WHO: italy-draft-resolution-transparency-72WHA-.pdf
April 29, 2019. Italy and 10 co-sponsors: Greece, Malaysia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Uganda, share a revised text. Dif-April29-May7-WHA-Transparency-Resolution.pdf
May 7, 2019. Text with brackets, after first informal negotiation at WHO. Dif-April29-May7-WHA-Transparency-Resolution.pdf
May 10, 2019. Text with brackets, after second informal negotiation at WHO. WHA-Resolution_DRAFT_10May1740.
See also table comparing April 29, May 7 and May 10. Diff-May-10-7-and-April-29-WHA-Transparency-Resolution.pdf
May 20, 2019. Version as introduced on first day of the WHA72: A72_ACONF2-en
May 22, 2019. Version at end of day on May 22, 2019, published by WHO morning of May 23, 2019. Removed from WHO web page on morning of May 24, 2019, after several countries opposing transparency bitterly objected to having the country positions in the negotiation made public. A72_ACONF2-en-May22
Resolution A72/A/CONF./2 Rev.1
Resolution A72/A/CONF./2 Rev.1, approved by the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA)
Resolution WHA72.8
Official version of resolution WHA72.8 adopted by the Seventy-second World Health Assembly on 28 May 2019.
News reporting and blogs about resolutions and the negotiations
2019. February 14. Ed Silverman, Italy proposes the WHO set international standards for drug-pricing transparency, Stat+
2019. February 15. Italy’s transparency push, Politico Pro Morning Health Care
2019. February 18. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, Italy Floats Proposal For New Deal On Drug Pricing At World Health Assembly, Health Policy Watch
2019, February 21. Italy has ‘moral obligation’ to tackle drug pricing, Politico Europe
2019. February 26. Loh Foon Fong, Ministry calls on WHO to look into drug pricing, The Star
2019. February 27. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, Médecins Sans Frontières On Drug Prices – You Can’t Negotiate Blindfolded, Health Policy Watch
2019. February 28. Deploying drugs for new purposes holds great promise, The Economist
2019. March 12. WHA Resolution For Transparent Drug Pricing: Italy Speaks Out, Health Policy Watch
2019. March 12. Ed Silverman, Why the Italian health minister is pushing for global transparency on drug pricing, Stat+
2019. April 1. Access to medicines—business as usual?, Lancet Global Health
2019. April 11. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, WHO-led Fair Pricing Forum Gathers Diverse Groups To Improve Drug Access, Health Policy Watch
2019. April 19. Ellen ‘t Hoen, Strong call for transparency on medicine prices, cost of R&D at WHO Fair Pricing Forum, Medicines Law & Policy
2019, April 22. WHO: No “Fair Price” without access and transparency, say CSOs, TWN Info Service on Intellectual Property Issues
2019. April 29. Ed Schoonveld, Where was differential pricing at the WHO Fair Pricing Forum?, STAT
2019. April 30. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, Drug Price Transparency: 10 Countries Back World Health Assembly Resolution, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 8. Ed Silverman, Pharma pushes back against setting international standards for drug-pricing transparency, Stat+
2019. May 10. Stephen Doughty (Op-ed), Britain must do more to stop drug firms from lining their pockets, The Guardian
2019. May 15. Teguayco Pinto, Las farmacéuticas se apoyan en EEUU y Alemania para frenar en la OMS un plan que haga más transparente el precio de la medicinas, El Diario
2019. May 16, Países ricos frenan plan de la OMS para transparentar precios de medicamentos, López-Dóriga Digital
2019. May 17. Jenny Lei Ravelo and Vince Chadwick, 72nd World Health Assembly: Here’s what you need to know, Devex
2019. May 17. Access to life-saving drugs, Op-Ed in The Irish Times. This op-ed was co-signed by Dr KIERAN HARKIN, Access to Medicines Ireland, ISABEL SIMPSON, Director, Médecins Sans Frontières Ireland, AVERIL POWER, CEO, Irish Cancer Society, Dr PADRAIG McGARRY, President, IMO, STEPHAN McMAHON, Co-founder, Irish Patients Association, FINTAN FOY, CEO, ICGP, PAUL GILLIGAN, CEO, St Patrick’s Mental Health Service, NADINE FERRIS FRANCE, Executive Director, Irish Forum for Global Health, ANN NOLAN, Asst Prof in Global Health, Trinity Centre for Global Health, ANTHONY STAINES, Prof of Health Systems, DCU, Prof SAM J Mc CONKEY, Deputy Dean, RCSI, Dr MARK MURPHY, Lecturer, RCSI , RONÁN CONWAY, Prof of Health Research Methods, RCSI, Dr KEVIN BROWN, Asst Prof in Clinical Medicine, TCD, URSULA Mc CARTHY, Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph, HEYDI FOSTER, CEO, Misean Cara, MARK CUMMING, Head of Comhlámh, Sr WINIFRED OJO, Institute leader, Sisters of St Louis, Dr CIARA CONLON, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines , PHIL Ní SHEAGHDHA, General Secretary Designate, INMO, C/o Access to Medicines Ireland, Dublin 2.
2019. May 18. Merome Jardin, ALERTE : la France s’oppose à la transparence sur les prix des médicaments, MediaPart
2019. May 19. Jessica Davis Plüss, Push for drug pricing transparency strikes a nerve with industry, SwissInfo
2019. May 19. Loh Foon Fong, Pricey problems with medicine, The Star
2019. May 19. Mérôme Jardin, Avec la résolution Transparence, Agnès Buzyn joue son poste, Mediapart
2019. May 19. Mérôme Jardin, Macron, le lobby pharmaceutique nuit aux malades – et aux candidatEs d’En Marche!, Mediapart
2019. May 20. Catherine Saez, Several Ministers Of Health Speak Up For Drug Market Transparency, Lower Prices At WHA Side Event, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 20. Resolution on transparency: NGOs worried about the ambiguities of the French position, Op Ed in Irrecuparables. This op-ed was co-signed by Act Up-Basel, Access, Collective The Irrecoverable, Act Up-Paris, Acceptess-T, UAEM.
2019. May 20. Sarah Wheaton and Helen Collis, Italy submits drug pricing transparency resolution to WHO, Politico Europe
2019. May 20. Mérôme Jardin, Résolution Transparence : les ONG inquiètes des ambiguïtés françaises, Mediapart
2019. May 21. Natasha Loder, The global battle over high drug prices – Western countries, as well as poor ones, are demanding transparency in the cost of drugs, The Economist
2019. May 21, Prix des médicaments : exigeons la transparence, Op-Ed in Libération. This op-ed was co-signed by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi prix Nobel de
physiologie et de médecine 2008, Marc-Antoine Bartoli président d’Act Up-Paris, Aurélien Beaucamp président de l’association AIDES, Alain-Michel Ceretti président de France Assos Santé, Dr. Philippe de Botton président de Médecins du Monde France, Axelle Ebodecomité de coordination UAEM Europe, Gaëlle Krikorian directrice des politiques,campagne d’accès aux médicaments essentiels à Médecins Sans Frontières, Pauline Londeix Act Up-Basel, présidente, Suisse/France, Bruno Rivalan directeur exécutif adjoint, action santé mondiale, and Florence Thune directrice générale de Sidaction.
2019. May 23. Reden wir über transparenz und lobbyismus, Frank Hermann
2019. May 23. James Love, How transparency of the costs of clinical trials will improve policy making, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 23. Catherine Saez, Future Of Drug Pricing Resolution Hangs In Balance At World Health Assembly, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 23. Tom Miles, WHO drug pricing talks may fail to end secrecy, activists fear, Reuters
2019. May 23. Loh Foon Fong, NGOs claim move to block resolution on drug price transparency at WHA, The Star
2019. May 23. James Love, How transparency of the costs of clinical trials will improve policy making, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 23. La OMS exige transparencia en el precio de las medicinas, RTVE
- May 23. Eva-Maria Schreiber, Bundesregierung blockiert Resolution gegen drastisch überhöhte Medikamentenpreise, DIE LINKE
2019. May 24. Catherine Saez,Little Progress Over Price Transparency Resolution; Negotiators Behind Closed Doors, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 24. States face mounting calls to improve drug price transparency, AFP
2019. May 24. Carlos B. Rodríguez, España realiza ante la OMS su primer aval en firme por la transparencia en precios, Gaceta Médica
2019. May 25. Kelly Crowe, ‘You disappointed us’: Why is Canada opposing more transparency in drug prices?, CBC
2019. May 25. Loh Foon Fong, 66 African NGOs urge UK govt to drop opposition to drug price transparency resolution, The Star
2019. May 26. Kerry Cullinan, Healthcare: Counting the cost – and who’s being left behind?, Daily Maverick
2019. May 26. Park Neung-hoo, It is time to move into action toward achieving universal health coverage for all, Korea Times
2019. May 26. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, Medicine Prices: Secrecy Of R&D Costs Remains Issue In Near-Final World Health Assembly Resolution, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 26. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, Medicine Prices – Delegates Near Agreement On Softer Resolution For Disclosure, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 27. Kerry Cullinan, Medicine price transparency is a sticky issue at WHA, Health E News
2019. May 27. Catherine Saez, Negotiators Agree On Game-Changing WHA Resolution For Medicine Price Disclosure, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 27. WHO definiert Burn-out erstmals als Syndrom, Spiegel Online
2019. May 28. WHO agrees watered down resolution for clearer drug prices, France 24
2019. May 28. Elaine Ruth Fletcher World Health Assembly Approves Milestone Resolution On Price Transparency, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 28. Paul Benkimoun, L’OMS se prononce pour la transparence sur les prix des médicaments, Le Monde
2019. May 28. Brian W. Simpson, Snakebites And Kissing Bugs Among Surprise Items On World Health Agenda, NPR
2019. May 28. Tom Miles, WHO agrees watered-down resolution on transparency in drug costs, Reuters
2019. May 28. Tom Miles, OMS acuerda una resolución desleída sobre transparencia en costos de medicamentos, Reuters
2019. May 28. Ed Silverman, World Health Assembly adopts resolution over transparent drug pricing to mixed reviews, Stat+
2019. May 28. Jessica Davis Plüss, WHO adopts watered-down resolution on drug transparency, SwissInfo
2019. May 28. Lucy Lamble, UK refuses to back ‘game-changing’ resolution on drug pricing, The Guardian
2019. May 28. Elizabeth S. Eaton, World Health Assembly adopts drug price transparency resolution, BioCentury
2019. May 28. España, con la OMS en la mejora de la transparencia de precios en los medicamentos, Con Salud
2019. May 28. OMS aprueba resolución para mejorar transparencia de precios en medicamentos, La República
2019. May 28. La OMS llama a la transparencia en el mercado de medicamentos y vacunas, Proceso
2019. May 28. Michiel van der Geest, Lidstaten gezondheidsorganisatie WHO beloven openheid over medicijnprijzen, deVolkskrant
2019. May 28. L’OMS adopte une résolution sur la transparence du marché des médicaments, Ouest-France
2019. May 28. L’OMS adopte une résolution édulcorée sur la transparence des marchés des médicaments, Le Figaro
2019. May 28. España se compromete a informar sobre precios de medicamentos y ensayos clínicos, El Independiente
2019. May 29. Ian Schofield, More Drug Price Disclosure In Store As WHO Delegates Pass Landmark Resolution, Pink Sheet
2019, May 29. Louis Goss, UK government refuses to sign up to WHO pricing transparency resolution, Pharmafile
2019. May 29. Andrew McConaghie, Countries hail ‘landmark’ drug pricing transparency resolution, despite watering down, PMLIVE
2019. May 29. Loh Foon Fong, Health DG: Global drug price transparency resolution a start but more needed, The Star
2019. May 29. Anne Gulland, UK fails to back international agreement on reducing drug costs, The Telegraph
2019. May 29. Rosalía Sierra, Aprobada la resolución para mejorar la transparencia de los mercados de los medicamentos, Diario Médico
2019. May 29. Carlos B. Rodríguez, La OMS aprueba la resolución de transparencia, pero solo en precios, El Global
2019. May 29. Fran Rosa, OMS: ‘sí’ a compartir datos de precios de medicamentos, ‘no’ a obligar a la industria a desglosar sus costes, Diario Farma
2019. May 29. Government criticised over recklessly watering down pharma resolution, Morning Star
2019, May 29. Stéphany Gardier, OMS: la transparence sur le prix des médicaments irrite certains pays, Heidi.News
2019. May 30. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, 2019 WHO’s EB Considers New Ways To Work With NGOs – Some Countries Criticise Activists’ Role At WHA 72, Health Policy Watch
2019. May 30. Neil Grubert, A Watershed on Transparency and International Collaboration in Drug Pricing?, PharmaExec
2019. May 30. Arthur Walsh, UK fails to back global medicine pricing agreement, Pharmacy Magazine
2019. May 31. Priti Patnaik, WHO transparency resolution seeks to dispel opacity around drug prices and sheds light on international policy-making, International Health Policies
2019. May 31. Samuel Moncada, OMS pide transparencia en precio de medicamentos, CMP Lima
2019. June 2. Loh Foon Fong, Resolved to make prices transparent, The Star
2019. June 2. Humo blanco en la OMS: Aprueba resolución sobre transparencia de precios, pero con limitaciones, Pharma Baires
2019. June 3. Elena Santa María, La Asamblea Mundial de la Salud insta a mejorar la transparencia de los mercados de medicamentos, iSanidad
2019. June 8. John Zarocostas, UK, Germany, dissociate from WHO drug pricing resolution, The Lancet
KEI blogs about the negotiations
2019. February 16. Italy’s Draft WHO resolution: Improving the transparency of markets for drugs, vaccines and other health-related technologies
2019. May 5. Revised negotiating text of the WHA resolution on transparency
2019. May 7. KEI comments at HHS listening session on WHA72 concerning the transparency resolution
2019. May 8. Comparison between April 29 and May 7 version of WHA 72 resolution on transparency
2019. May 9. Civil Society Open Letter to World Health Assembly Delegates on Transparency Resolution Negotiations
2019. May 13. Comparison between April 29, May 7, and May 10 versions of WHA 72 resolution on transparency
2019. May 20. Italy and 11 co-sponsors introduce transparency resolution text to WHA72
2019. May 21. WHA72: Portuguese Minister of Health, Marta Temido, underscores strong support for the WHO transparency resolution
2019. May 22. How transparency of the costs of clinical trials will improve policy making
2019. May 23. WHO publishes May 22 version of transparency resolution with 110 brackets. We compare to original proposal
2019. May 23. WHA72 – Open Letter to Delegates on Transparency Resolution Negotiations
2019. May 26. Comments on the transparency resolution negotiation process
2019. May 27. The growing gap between what the public had been told R&D costs are, and the actual costs
2019. May 28. KEI Statement on Adoption of the WHA72 Transparency Resolution
Open letters
2019. May 9. Civil Society Open Letter to World Health Assembly Delegates on Transparency Resolution Negotiations
2019. May 17. Op Ed in The Irish Times
2019. May 21. Op-Ed in Libération
2019. May 23. German civil society groups letter
2019. May 23. WHA72 – Open Letter to Delegates on Transparency Resolution Negotiations