KEI Comments to the NIH on Exclusive License to Opsis Therapeutics for Retinal Cell Therapies

On October 18, 2019, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the Federal Register Notice for the “Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Compositions, Devices and Processes for Production and Delivery of Cell Grafts of Manufactured Retinal Pigment Epithelium… Continue Reading

KEI and UACT Comments to NIH on License to T-Cell Therapy for Cancer to Ziopharm Oncology

(Update: The NIH provided a response to our comments on November 15, 2019) On Friday October 18, 2019, Knowledge Ecology International and the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT) submitted comments on the “Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License:… Continue Reading

KEI and UACT Comments to NIH on License in AAV Vectors to Generation Bio and Spark Therapeutics

On Friday October 11, 2019, Knowledge Ecology International and the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT) submitted comments to the Federal Register notice (84 FR 51171) for the “Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent License: Capsid-Free AAV Vectors, Compositions, and Methods… Continue Reading

UK Labour Party’s new pledge on innovation and affordability of medicines: Medicine for the Many

The UK Labour Party Document, “Medicines-For-The-Many” is 52 pages long, including 9 pages of end notes. It is an ambitious document. The document discusses, in some detail, innovation as well as access and affordability. The reforms proposed include measures that… Continue Reading

U.K. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn calls for use of compulsory licensing, public sector manufacturing and pricing controls on drugs using government funded inventions

Today, in his address to the U.K. Labour party conference, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn made the following statement on drug patents and prices. Yesterday I met Luis Walker, a wonderful nine-year-old boy. Luis is living with cystic fibrosis. Every day… Continue Reading

Joint Comments by KEI, UACT, Social Security Watch and Health Gap on the proposed NIH Exclusive License in CAR Therapy to Lyell Immunopharma (and NIH Response)

(UPDATE: As noted in the comments below, the NIH provided a response to the joint comments submitted on September 5, 2019, well in advance of the close of the comment period on September 15, 2019) On September 19, 2019, Knowledge… Continue Reading

Joint Comments Regarding NIH Proposed Exclusive License to Intima Biosciences for Cancer Therapy (and NIH Response)

(UPDATE: The NIH provided a response to our comments on September 26, 2019) On September 13, 2019, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT), Public Citizen (PC), Social Security Works (SSW), LWC Health, Ruth Lopert, Manon Ress,… Continue Reading

KEI Request Re: Failure to Disclose Federal Funding in UPenn Bennett et al Patents for Gene Therapy to Treat Blindness

On September 9, 2019, KEI submitted a second request to the NIH that it investigate an apparent failure to disclose federal funding in patents in adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapies assigned to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn).… Continue Reading

KEI, UACT, UAEM, and SSW Appeal NIH Grant of Exclusive Licenses on CAR Cancer Therapy to Gilead/Kite

On September 12, 2019, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT), Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), Social Security Works (SSW), and Clare Love filed an appeal with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The signatories appealed… Continue Reading