WTO TRIPS Council (October 2020): European Union dismisses concerns that IPRs are a barrier to COVID-19 medicines and technologies

On Friday, 16 October 2020, the European Union provided the following perspectives during a three hour debate on the proposed waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 co-sponsored by Eswatini, Kenya,… Continue Reading →

WTO TRIPS Council (October 2020): South Africa issues clarion call urging support for TRIPS waiver proposal

On Friday, 16 October 2020, members of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council held a three hour debate on the proposal (IP/C/W/669) first tabled by India and South Africa for a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement… Continue Reading →

KEI Sues HHS and the Army over Access to COVID-19 Contracts

On Friday October 16, 2020, KEI filed a lawsuit (under the Freedom of Information Act) against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Army regarding requests for COVID-19 research and development and procurement contracts awarding hundreds… Continue Reading →

COVID-19 Contracts

United States of America Below are links to copies of the contracts entered into by the US government for technologies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. KEI is updating this page as we gain access to more contracts, and less redacted… Continue Reading →

20 October 2020 – Save the Date – Government Funding of COVID-19 Vaccines and Other Medical Technologies

Government Funding of COVID-19 Vaccines and Other Medical Technologies DATE: Tuesday, 20 October 2020 TIME: EDT 9:00 to 10:30/UTC: 13:00 to 14:30/CEST: 15:00 to 16:30 CONVENER: Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) REGISTRATION: Please contact thiru [at] keionline.org BACKGROUND: On Tuesday, 20… Continue Reading →

KEI panel on government funding of COVID drugs and vaccines at the Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest

On October 5, 2020, KEI organized a panel about government funding of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines at the Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest. Although the full Global Congress event was postponed to the year 2021, the… Continue Reading →

Taxpayers are subsidizing 80 percent of Regeneron’s COVID-19 treatment’s R&D costs

Regeneron Pharmaceutical recently applied for Emergency Use Authorization of its investigational COVID-19 treatment, REGN-COV2, after Donald Trump said that it cured him of COVID-19, suggesting that Regeneron expects to cash in on the treatment. Taxpayers, however, are funding 80 percent… Continue Reading →