Negotiating texts for WHA 74 on local production. 4 December 2020. Concept Note (Text prepared by Ethiopia) Zero Draft resolution on Strengthening Local Production of Medicines and Other Health Technologies to Improve Access, Dec 04,2020 – WHO Resolution on Strengthening… Continue Reading
On March 11th 2021, Biolyse Pharma (“Biolyse”) issued a statement publicly indicating their capacity to manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine and their intent to apply for a compulsory license in Canada. Biolyse is a Canadian manufacturer of cancer drugs based out… Continue Reading
On 10 March 2021, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council addressed the proposal for a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 (IP/C/W/669) under agenda item 12. This proposal is… Continue Reading
Whilst TRIPS Council deliberations in 2020 witnessed some lively deliberations on the nature of legislative amendments to Hungary’ special legal order (State of Danger) to enable the provision of a “compulsory licence regime for public health purposes”, Hungary’s recent decision… Continue Reading
On 23 February 2021, South Africa delivered two detailed statements at the WTO TRIPS Council’s most recent deliberations on a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 (IP/C/W/669). South Africa did… Continue Reading
On Monday, 15 February 2021, the World Trade Organization’s General Council, “agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General” (Source: History is made: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala chosen as Director-General, 15 February 2021). Dr Ngozi is… Continue Reading
KEI has reviewed an exclusive license between the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and AbCellera Biologics (“AbCellera”) concerning a technology invented by NIAID that apparently is being used for the Eli Lilly (“Lilly”) antibody treatment for COVID-19… Continue Reading
(More on the USTR Special 301. link) On Thursday January 28, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Review process. The USTR conducts an annual review of other countries’ intellectual property policies… Continue Reading
One of the main objections to march-in rights and reasonable pricing clauses is the repeated assertion by NIH leadership that pharmaceutical companies would never agree to a partnership with the federal government that involves price constraints. This argument defies logic… Continue Reading