Canadian Policy option that can permit the government to exercise rights in patents arising under procurement contracts in Canada, if “prior obligations” exist, and how that relates to WHO COVID-19 pooling proposal

In Canada, the foreground intellectual property arising under procurement contracts by default belongs to the contractor. However, there are several exceptions to this rule. One key policy provision allows the government to claim title of the foreground intellectual property “where…… Continue Reading

House Coronavirus Bill Provision Could be Used for COVID-19/Coronavirus-Related R&D without Public-Interest Safeguards

A House coronavirus stimulus bill contains a provision concerning the use of Other Transactions Authority to fund COVID-19 diagnostics. The provision appears to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to award $2.2 billion to private sector companies to develop… Continue Reading

KEI Letter to Speaker Pelosi Regarding Use of “Other Transaction Authority” (OTA) in Coronavirus Bill to Escape Bayh-Dole Public Interest Safeguards

For more on KEI’s work on COVID-19, see keionline.org/coronavirus. On March 23, 2020, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding a provision in the current draft of the Senate version of the coronavirus funding bill… Continue Reading

Three areas in Section 202 of the Bayh-Dole Act that require action to ensure sufficient rights in patents on coronavirus relevant inventions

For more on KEI’s work on COVID-19, see keonline.org/coronavirus. As the US and other governments begin to expend large amounts of money on research and development related to the control, prevention and treatment of the coronavirus pandemic, there are important… Continue Reading

Unreasonable pricing and the “Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020”

For more on KEI’s work on COVID-19, see keonline.org/coronavirus. The “Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020’’ will provide welcome funding to deal with the expanding COVID-19 pandemic. The current language on affordability (this Draft text), however, is worse… Continue Reading

KEI Comments to NIST on Interagency Edison System for Reporting Federally Funded Inventions, 84 FR 68128, Docket No. 191126-0092

Filed in 84 FR 68128, Docket No. 191126-0092. KEI-NIST-RFC-iEdison, 27Jan2020 January 27, 2020 Dr. Courtney Silverthorn Deputy Director, Technology Partnerships Office, National Institute of Standards and Technology Technology Partnerships Office 100 Bureau Drive, MS 2200, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, mailto:courtney.silverthorn@nist.gov Re:… Continue Reading

Joint comments on the NIH license to patents on CAR therapies to CJ Healthcare

Joint Comments Regarding “Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Development and Commercialization of CD19/CD22 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) Therapies for the Treatment of B-Cell Malignancies[,]” 85 FR 328 On January 21, 2020 five groups and two individuals filed comments… Continue Reading

KEI Request Re: Failure to Disclose Federal Funding in UPenn Bennett et al Patents for Gene Therapy to Treat Blindness

On September 9, 2019, KEI submitted a second request to the NIH that it investigate an apparent failure to disclose federal funding in patents in adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapies assigned to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn).… Continue Reading

International Reference Pricing

KEI Briefing Note 2019:1  International Reference Pricing August 22, 2019 International Reference Pricing, often referred to as External Reference Pricing (ERP), is the practice of using a price in a foreign market as a benchmark for an acceptable price in… Continue Reading