KEI Comments on NIH Prospective Exclusive License to Gilead for HIV Treatment/Cure

(Update: On November 4, 2021, the NIH provided a response to our comments on the license.) On October 12, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the ““Prospective Grant of an Exclusive… Continue Reading

WIPO General Assembly 2021: General statement of Knowledge Ecology International

On Tuesday, 5 October 2021, Knowledge Ecology International delivered the following opening statement at the 2021 WIPO General Assembly. General Statement of Knowledge Ecology International – WIPO General Assembly 5 October 2021 The COVID pandemic illustrates flaws in the intellectual… Continue Reading

U.S. Government’s $1.2 Billion Contract for Merck’s Investigational COVID-19 Drug Molnupiravir Redacts IP Terms, Contains Donation Clause and Very Limited Technology Transfer License

(For more resources, please see our page on molnupiravir.) Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) has obtained a copy of the $1.2 billion contract between the U.S. government and Merck to advance purchase 1,696,629 treatment courses of molnupiravir, an investigational COVID-19 drug… Continue Reading

US government rights in patents on Molnupiravir, based upon funding of R&D at Emory University

(For more resources, please see our page on molnupiravir.) Molnupiravir, the oral pill that is showing promising results as a potential treatment for covid-19, was invented at Emory University with U.S. government funds. After more than six years of non-clinical… Continue Reading

WHO expands the list of essential medicines and proposes a new working group to address ways to make highly priced essential medicines more affordable and accessible.

On October 1, 2021, the WHO published the new edition of its Model Lists (the EML) of Essential Medicines and Essential Medicines for Children. WHO Documents Press Release Executive Summary World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 22nd list… Continue Reading

KEI Comments Regarding NIH Prospective License to Blue Water Vaccines for West Nile Vaccine

On September 27, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted the following comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the “Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent License: Chimeric Live-Attenuated Vaccine for West Nile Virus (WNV)” (86 FR 50722). The technology… Continue Reading

Biden Administration’s $3.5 Billion Purchase Agreement with Pfizer for International Vaccine Donation

On September 22, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) obtained a copy of the $3.5 billion contract between the U.S. government and Pfizer to purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for international donation to low- and middle-income countries. The… Continue Reading