Access to Medicine

2016: Kite Pharma, KEI Comments on NIH Proposed Exclusive License for Cancer Treatment

Posted on by Claire Cassedy

Today, KEI submitted comments to the Notice published in the Federal Register on October 5, 2016, entitled “Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent License: Development of Anti-CD70 Chimeric Antigen Receptors for the Treatment of CD70 Expressing Cancers.” KEI’s comments addressed issues with the NIH’s processes for granting exclusive licenses, and transparency in those licenses, resulting data, trials, pricing, and revenue.
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Kite Pharma Press Releases & News Stories Related to Relationship with National Cancer Institute

Posted on by Zack Struver

Kite Pharma is a California-based biopharmaceutical company working on various types of cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, in a bid to become the first pharmaceutical firm to gain successful FDA approval for this new class of cancer treatment.

Kite closely collaborates with the National Cancer Institute, which conducted significant early research into the forms of cell therapies that Kite is seeking to commercialize. NCI conducts clinical trials under Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with Kite, and additionally has granted exclusive licenses on over a dozen patents to Kite on the same technologies.
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WIPO General Assembly 2016: Opening Statement of Knowledge Ecology International

Posted on by KEI Staff

On October 4th, 2016, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) delivered this opening statement on the occasion of the Fifty-Sixth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).


KEI General Statement – WIPO General Assembly – 2016

October 4th, 2016

Thank you Chair for providing Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) the opportunity to speak today.

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National Association of Manufacturers told USTR the EU position on LDC extension made a mockery of international trading system

Posted on by Thiru

On September 10, 2015, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), wrote to USTR expressing alarm at the European Union support of an indefinite extension of a WTO waiver of obligations to grant patents on pharmaceuticals for UN defined least developed countries (LDCs). In 2015, there were 954 million persons living in LDCs, with a per capita income of $964, according to the World Bank. The EU had aligned itself with health advocates trying to protect the bottom billion access to life saving medicines.

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Summary of Report of United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

Posted on by Zack Struver

On September 14, 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines released its report, in which they had a mandate to “review and assess proposals and recommend solutions for remedying the policy incoherence between the justifiable rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and public health in the context of health technologies.”[1]

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Commentary on Hillary Clinton’s Plan to Respond to Unjustified Price Hikes for Long-Available Drugs

Posted on by Claire Cassedy

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has published a factsheet presenting, “Hillary’s Plan to Respond to Unjustified Price Hikes for Long-Available Drugs.”

Today via Twitter, KEI Director James Love offered a six point commentary on Secretary Clinton’s proposal to address drug price hikes:

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SCP24:WIPO patent committee adopts robust work program on patents and health, limitations and exceptions and quality of patents

Posted on by Thiru

On 30 June 2016, the 24th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) agreed to an ambitious work program on patents and health, exceptions and limitations to patent rights, quality of patents, transfer of technology and confidentiality of communications between clients and their patent advisors.

On patents and health, the Committee agreed to the following: