EB 148: WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) comes under scrutiny

On Tuesday, 19 January 2021, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Executive Board discussed the COVID-19 response. In these discussions, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), and Health Action International (HAI) expressed concerns over WHO’s leadership of the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).… Continue Reading

$1.8 Billion Sanofi Vaccine Contract Contains International Reference Pricing Clause, Preserves Standard IP and Data Rights

The contract awarding Sanofi Pasteur (“Sanofi”) 1.8 billion U.S. taxpayers’ dollars for the development and manufacture of a COVID-19 vaccine was posted in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Electronic Reading Room on November 30, 2020. Overall, the… Continue Reading

WHA73: Oral statement of Knowledge Ecology International – 11.9 – Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property

KEI is an accredited non-state actor at the World Health Organization (WHO). This was the oral statement we delivered during the resumed session of the WHA 73 in November 2020. Our statement focused on agenda item 11.9 – Global strategy… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council (October 2020): Hungary answers queries posed by South Africa regarding Hungarian compulsory licensing provisions

At the October 2020 session of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council, under agenda item 1, IP measures in the context of COVID-19, the European Union read out Hungary’s detailed responses to questions posed in July 2020 (at the… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council (October 2020): South Africa issues clarion call urging support for TRIPS waiver proposal

On Friday, 16 October 2020, members of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council held a three hour debate on the proposal (IP/C/W/669) first tabled by India and South Africa for a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement… Continue Reading

KEI Sues HHS and the Army over Access to COVID-19 Contracts

On Friday October 16, 2020, KEI filed a lawsuit (under the Freedom of Information Act) against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Army regarding requests for COVID-19 research and development and procurement contracts awarding hundreds… Continue Reading

Taxpayers are subsidizing 80 percent of Regeneron’s COVID-19 treatment’s R&D costs

Regeneron Pharmaceutical recently applied for Emergency Use Authorization of its investigational COVID-19 treatment, REGN-COV2, after Donald Trump said that it cured him of COVID-19, suggesting that Regeneron expects to cash in on the treatment. Taxpayers, however, are funding 80 percent… Continue Reading

KEI on Moderna’s Oct 8, 2020 Statement on Intellectual Property Matters during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(More on KEI’s work on coronavirus here: https://www.keionline.org/coronavirus, and on Moderna, here: https://www.keionline.org/moderna) Oct 8, 2020 Moderna’s statement on intellectual property matters during the COVID-19 pandemic is very good, and should be matched by every manufacturer of a therapeutic, vaccine… Continue Reading

General Statement of Knowledge Ecology International – Sixty-First Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (WIPO Assemblies)

General Statement of Knowledge Ecology International – Sixty-First Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (WIPO Assemblies) Agenda item 5 – General Statements 21 September 2020 In relation to the COVID-19 response, Knowledge Ecology International… Continue Reading