KEI receives seven new contracts for COVID 19 research from BARDA and DOD, including five using “Other Transactions Authority” that weaken or eliminate Bayh-Dole and FAR Safeguards

KEI has a number of outstanding requests under the United States Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for contracts related to biomedical innovations to control or treat the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, June 25, and Friday, June 26, we received a… Continue Reading

Joint Comments on Two NIH Exclusive Licenses to CAR Therapy to Vor Biopharma and Senti Bio

On June 15, 2020, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) and the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatments (UACT) submitted joint comments to the National Institutes of Health regarding two prospective exclusive patent licenses: “Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Development and… Continue Reading

KEI and UACT Comments Regarding NIH Exclusive License to Retargeted Therapeutics for Cancer Treatment

Update: The NIH sent a response to our comments, available here. The response fails to address the glaring lack of information available regarding Retargeted Therapeutics. On June 8, 2020, Knowledge Ecology International and the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT)… Continue Reading

Senate Foreign Relations Committee questions State Department, USAID, and HHS on COVID-19 and U.S. International Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response

On Thursday, 18 June 2020, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee convened a hearing on COVID-19 and U.S. International Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response. The witnesses called to provide testimony included: 1) James L. Richardson, Director, Office of Foreign Assistance, U.S.… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council (informal): South Africa’s interventions on COVID-19, TRIPS flexibilities, and domestic manufacturing capacity

On Friday, 19 June 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened an informal virtual Open-ended Meeting of the TRIPS Council. . The following statements were delivered by South Africa at the virtual open-ended informal meeting of the TRIPS Council. In… Continue Reading

While a major victory for Australia and public health, the WTO Appellate Body failed to address the legal status of the Doha Declaration

On June 9, 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body circulated its reports relating to the Australia – Tobacco Plain Packaging cases. The reports issued the decision regarding the appeals brought by Honduras and the Dominican Republic against the… Continue Reading

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan issues statement on European Union compulsory licensing in context of COVID-19, makes important statement about TRIPS Article 31bis

On 14 May 2020, Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) wrote a letter to Phil Hogan (Commissioner for Trade, European Commission) on the “commercial aspects of intellectual property rights for medical products in the… Continue Reading