Gene and Cell therapies
Access to Medicine
UPenn, Nationwide Children’s Hospital refuse to disclose which patents they licensed to Novartis for Zolgensma
Zolgensma, Novartis’s new $2.1 million gene therapy for children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), is a remarkable breakthrough with a steep price tag: the cost per child is $2.125 million. The treatment was developed using research funded by the National… Continue Reading
Charity and NIH funding related to Zolgensma
June 14, 2019 Zolgensma, the Novartis brand name for the new $2.1 million gene therapy for treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), appears to be a remarkable medical breakthrough treatment. It is also, like all of the new cell- and… Continue Reading
KEI Statement on Adoption of the WHA72 Transparency Resolution
Today the World Health Assembly (WHA) approved A72/A/CONF./2 Rev.1 as a resolution, titled “Improving the transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines, and other health products.” Link to the resolution: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA72/A72_ACONF2Rev1-en.pdf When the text was made available, I sent out a… Continue Reading
Comments on the transparency resolution negotiation process
An earler version of this was posted to ip-health. —– As the #TransparencyResolution finally moves onto the #WHA72 agenda, I would like to offer a few comments on the process. We have copies of six versions of the negotiating text,… Continue Reading
Negotiations on 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on transparency
See https://keionline.org/transparency for links to research materials and blogs. Background Memo on Transparency Norms 2019. February 18. Note prepared for WHA negotiations on transparency resolution Examples of SEC disclosures Negotiating texts for WHA 72, on transparency. February 1, 2019. Draft… Continue Reading
WHA72 – Open Letter to Delegates on Transparency Resolution Negotiations
On Thursday May 23, 2019, KEI, Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and 44 more organizations and 10 individuals released an open letter to delegates of the 72nd World Health Assembly urging them to support a strong resolution on transparency… Continue Reading
WHA72 KEI Intervention – 11.5 Universal Health Coverage
On Wednesday May 22, 2019, KEI delivered the following intervention at the 72nd World Health Assembly for the agenda item, “11.5 – Universal Health Coverage.” A PDF version is available here. KEI Statement – WHA72 11.5 – Universal Health Coverage… Continue Reading
WHA72: Portuguese Minister of Health, Marta Temido, underscores strong support for the WHO transparency resolution
On Monday, 20 May 2019, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Costa Rica, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Vietnam convened an official side event at the 72nd session of the World Health… Continue Reading
The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Hearing on PrEP
At today’s House Oversight Hearing on PrEP, one of issues will be access to Truvada (FTC+TDF), but also Descovy (FEMTRICITABINE+TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE), a two drug combination, that uses TAF instead of TDF, and is less toxic than Truvada. The Goodrx price… Continue Reading