Knowledge Ecology International

I had not seen this lawsuit filed by Gilead against AbbVie and Abbott before. It is an interesting read. According to Gilead:

Abbott executives and “inventors” conspired and carried out the initial steps of the company’s scheme by filing serial fraudulent patent applications asserting that Abbott had invented methods of treating HCV using PSI-7977 as well as the Gilead Combination (as well as thousands of combinations of Abbott’s other competitors’ HCV compounds). The first of these applications is dated October 21, 2011.

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On 8 July 2014, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Tuberculosis (APPGTB) released a seminal report entitled, “Dying for a Cure: Research and Development for Global Health.” The APPGTB is co-chaired by Andrew George MP (St Ives, Liberal Democrat), Rt Hon Nick Herbert MP (Arundel and South Downs, Conservative) and Virendra Sharma MP (Ealing Southall, Continue Reading →

In “Compulsory License as a Remedy for Trade Secret Misappropriation, Dennis Crouch writes* about a July 1, 2014 decision in Sabatino Bianco, M.D. v. Globus Medical, 2:12-cv-00147 (E.D. Tex 2014). The decision by Judge Bryson, a U.S. Circuit Judge in the Eastern District of Texas, concerns trade secrets which:

“consisted of ideas for the design of a medical device known as an adjustable intervertebral spacer or implant. Intervertebral spacers are used in spinal surgery to replace damaged discs in patients’ spines.”

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Senators Wyden and Grassley have written a very tough request for documents about the pricing of Sovaldi, sent to John C. Martin, the Chair and CEO of Gilead Sciences.

The eight page letter sets out in 21 number paragraphs and countless sub-paragraphs a set requests for documents and information related to a very sweeping number of issues relating to Hepatitis C, and the pricing of Sovaldi (Gilead’s brand name for sofosbuvir).

The Grassley press release on the letter is here:
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On 28 October 2014, the World Trade Organization (WTO) will host the inaugural WTO Innovation Fair which will “feature a diverse array of creators and inventors including individuals and organizations from around the globe and will serve as a platform for exchange of information, introduction of new technologies and advancing the understanding of the innovation lifecycle – from research and development, to financing and commercialization.” (Source: Website of the Permanent Mission Continue Reading →

On 9 July 2014, Kenya, on behalf of the African Group, delivered the following closing statement articulating its view that substantial progress had been made in text-based negotiations on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore for the WIPO General Assembly in September 2014 to take a decision to convene a Diplomatic Conference in November 2015. Continue Reading →

*The author thanks KEI intern (Anelise Rosa) for her comprehensive notes on the IGC deliberations.

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The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC/GRTKF) is meeting from 7 July 2014 to 9 July 2014. Pursuant to the mandate of the WIPO General Assembly decision in 2013, the Committee is pursuing text-based negotiations with the objective of reaching an agreement on a text(s) of an international legal instrument(s) which will ensure the effective protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. Continue Reading →