On 23 May 2007, the 60th World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization’s highest governing body, adopted resolution WHA60.30 on Public health, innovation and intellectual property. This resolution bolstered the work program of WHO’s Intergovernmental Working Group on Public health, innovation and intellectual property (IGWG/PHI). This is the key operative section of the resolution, and the reactions by several key persons.
The prize is not huge (5,000 Euros), but the purposes and winners are interesting. According to this account:
The city of Aachen and the district (Kreis) of Aachen have conferred the Aachen Innovation Prize jointly since the year 2000. From 1992 until 1999 it was granted by the city of Aachen alone under the name of the “City of Aachen Prize for Innovation and Technology”.
KEI statement on bipartisan trade agreement
14 May 2007
FMI: James Love james.love@keionline.org, +1.202.361.3040
On May 10, 2007, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Ways and Means Chair Charles Rangel announced a “new bipartisan ” trade package. KEI has reviewed the details of the elements of section III of the agreement, concerning “patents, IPR and access to medicine.”
Prize4Life is an effort to accelerate treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). It was created by 32 year old Avichai “Avi” Kremer. According to news reports Kremer was diagnosed with ALS in 2004, and has only a few years to live. He started Prize4Life to raise money for prizes to stimulation research.
Here are some extracts from this moving story in the March 28 issue of the Boston Globe:
(When the shoe was on the other foot, Abbott asked for a compulsory license, while criticizing Thailand for issuing compulsory licenses) On the 12th of January 2007, Abbott Laboratories lost a bid in a U.S. District Court (the Western District… Continue Reading
On Friday, March 16, KEI organized a briefing in the U.S. Capitol on Thailand’s recent compulsory licenses on three drugs; two for HIV/AIDS (Merck’s efavirenz (Stocrin) and Abbott’s lopinavir + ritonavir (Kaletra)) and one for heart disease (Sanofi’s clopidogrel (Plavix)). … Continue Reading
Knowledge Ecology International: Q&A Session on Thai White Paper (Facts and Evidences on the 10 Burning Issues Related to the Government Use of Patents on Three Patented Essential Drugs in Thailand) Geneva, Switzerland 8 March 2007 Thiru Balasubramaniam On Thursday,… Continue Reading
The following is the text of a letter to Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General Elect, World Health Organization (WHO), asking for a review of the Essential Drugs List (EDL) as it relates to patented products. Consumer Project on Technology http://www.cptech.org December… Continue Reading
March 2006
CPTech Response to 2006 PhRMA “Special 301” Submission for Chile
The “Special 301” Report is a report that the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) submits annually to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee on the adequacy and effectiveness of intellectual property rights protection around the world. The report identifies those countries that the USTR consider “deny adequate and effective protection for IPR or deny fair and equitable market access for U.S. persons that rely on intellectual property protection”.