On March 10, 2017, KEI filed our 3rd set of comments with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC) on their proposed grant of an exclusive license on Zika virus vaccine patents to the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi.
On March 9, 2017, KEI was scheduled to testify before the Maryland House Committee on Health on HB 666, a bill that would require an annual report on R&D costs from drug companies that sell high-priced medicines in the state of Maryland.
In advance of the hearing, I prepared a note that summarizes provisions in both transparency and pharmaceutical price gouging legislation that would require the disclosure of the costs associated with research and development. This note is a less detailed version of this 2016 summary.
This year, so far, legislators in 13 states have introduced 21 bills that would require some degree of transparency.
On 8 March 2017, the Permanent Representative of Portugal, Ambassador Pedro Nuno Bártolo, made a powerful intervention at the Human Rights Council’s panel discussion on access to medicines. Portugal stressed that access to medicines is a fundamental element of the right to health and highlighted how the high prices of hepatitis C and cancer medicines made them unaffordable to large segments of the population in industrialized countries. Continue Reading
On 8 March 2017, the European Union (EU) delivered the following statement to the Human Rights Council’s panel discussion on Access to Medicines. As the Human Right Council imposed a strict two minute limit on interventions, the EU was not able to raise the following two questions contained at the end of its intervention.
I have two questions for the Panel.
Could the panellists suggest further measures to promote a holistic approach to access to medicines?
On 8 March 2017, the World Trade Organization delivered the following statement at the Human Rights Council’s panel on Access to Medicines.
WTO statement – Antony TaubmanIt’s an honour for the WTO Secretariat to join this distinguished panel. Today’s discussion is a welcome step forward in the journey together towards the shared goal of access to medicines for all, and promoting the development of urgently needed new medicines, recognizing the centrality of the human rights perspective for this collective effort.
8 March 2017 – Statement of Deputy High Commissioner (Kate Gilmore, OHCHR) on the Right to Health
On 8 March 2017, Kate Gilmore, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered this opening address to the Human Rights Council’s panel on Access to Medicines. Deputy High Commissioner Gilmore identified the following challenge posed by intellectual property rights:
KEI Submission to Oregon Senate on R&D Cost Transparency Provisions in SB 793
Today, KEI submitted written testimony on SB 793 — a bill that is designed to allow the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services to investigate price increases for prescription drugs — in advance of a hearing before the Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care at 1:00 P.M. (PST) on March 9, 2017.
Notes on 2017 Special 301 Submissions
Wednesday, March 8, 2017, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will hold the first Special 301 Hearing of the Trump administration. This year, USTR received 63 submissions in advance fo the hearing from governments, civil society organizations, and industry groups.
This blog post pulls out interesting selections from the various submissions, and includes as attachments the submissions of selected organizations.
Continue Reading8 March 2017 – Human Rights Council’s Access to Medicines panel set to discuss Report of UN HLP
On 8 March 2017, the Human Rights Council will convene a three hour Access to Medicines panel which will take place from 3 PM to 6 PM in Room XX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This panel is mandated by resolution 32/15 which passed at 32nd session of the Human Rights Council (June/July 2016). The resolution directed the Human Rights Council to convene an access to medicines panel at its 34th session in March 2017.
March 2017 – WTO TRIPS Council – Brazil’s statement on copyright and e-commerce
At the March 2017 session of the WTO TRIPS Council, Brazil delivered the following statement on copyright and e-commerce.
