On Thursday, May 21, 2015, KEI and KEI Europe hosted a side event at the 68th World Health Assembly on compulsory licensing of patents on drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests. The event was graciously hosted by UNAIDS in the Kofi Annan room.
Attached is the text of a letter sent by Senator Bernie Sanders to Robert A. McDonald, the Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, asking the Secretary “to use your authority as Secretary of Veterans Affairs to break the patents on Hepatitis C medications for the treatment of veterans suffering with the disease.”
On Friday May 8, 2015, the US Department of Health and Human Services held a listening session to solicit input on the agenda items for the upcoming 68th World Health Assembly. KEI delivered five interventions covering a range of critical WHA topics. The full provisional agenda of the 68th WHA can be accessed here: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA68/A68_1-en.pdf
Today, KEI hosted the first talk in a series of seminars on drug pricing. The seminar, conducted via video conference, focused on the Canadian approach to drug pricing. Each seminar in the series is intended to contribute to the discussion on drug pricing and how we can improve affordability and access to medicines. Paul Grootendorst began with a presentation (the slides are available here), before opening up the discussion to questions from those participating in the video conference.
On Thursday, 30 April 2015, KEI will host the first talk in a series of seminars on drug pricing. The seminars will take place via video conference (hosted by KEI), and participation is welcome either by attending the presentation at KEI’s Washington, DC offices, or to the extent we are able, joining the digital conference.
On March 18, 2015, KEI, KEI Europe, and Essential Inventions submitted proposals for global voluntary licences for all patents necessary for hepatitis C (HCV) medicines to five drug companies — AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Janssen, and Merck.
On 16 December 2014 and 18 December 2014, the World Trade Organization (WTO) undertook a trade policy review of the United States of America. All members of the WTO are subject to review under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). Continue Reading
On Tuesday February 3, 2015, the final day of the 136th WHO Executive Board meeting, the EB passed a draft decision on the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation, and Intellectual Property (GSPoA). The draft decision recommends to the WHA that the GSPOA be extended until 2022. Continue Reading
Another matter considered during the Friday, January 30th session of the WHO Executive Board was the “Follow-up of the report on the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research Development-Financing and Coordination.” In addition to the general report on the CEWG, the EB also considered the Director General’s report on the CEWG “Health research and development demonstration projects.”
On Friday, January 30th, the WHO Executive Board discussed the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation, and Intellectual Property (GSPA). The discussion covered several documents in relation to the GSPoA, including: