On 16 December 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) published a paper that delighted in the name, Expanding access to effective treatments for cancer and rare and orphan diseases, including medicines, vaccines, medical devices, diagnostics, assistive products, cell- and gene-based… Continue Reading
(Updated for KEI’s corrected brief). On Wednesday December 16, 2020, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) filed an amicus curiae brief in GlaxoSmithKline LLC v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (“GSK”, “Teva”). The case concerns secondary indications of medicines, and whether Teva induced… Continue Reading
On Thursday, 10 December 2020, Tanyaradzwa Manhombo (Zimbabwe) delivered this statement on behalf of the African Group at WIPO’s 32nd session of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP). This statement focused on patents and technology transfer. The… Continue Reading
UPDATE (16 December 2020): The WTO General Council is meeting from Wednesday, 16 December 2020 to Friday, 18 December 2020 to discuss a number of matters including e-commerce, cotton, and TRIPS Council matters. Under agenda item 13, the Chair of… Continue Reading
On December 3, 2020, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) regarding the “Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent License: Treatment and Prevention of Neuropathic… Continue Reading
The contract awarding Sanofi Pasteur (“Sanofi”) 1.8 billion U.S. taxpayers’ dollars for the development and manufacture of a COVID-19 vaccine was posted in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Electronic Reading Room on November 30, 2020. Overall, the… Continue Reading
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman are often described as the pioneers of the mRNA discoveries that underpin the first COVID-19 vaccines. In 2005 both scientists published a paper reporting that a slightly tweaked version of mRNA that can be administered… Continue Reading
To: Ken Millburne Technology Transfer Program Food and Drug Administration Via email: Kenneth.millburne@fda.hhs.gov From: James Love Knowledge Ecology International 1621 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 https://keionline.org Date: November 30, 2020 Re: Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent… Continue Reading
UPDATE: On Friday, 27 November 2020, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published document WO/CC/79/2, Appointment of Deputy Directors General and Assistant Directors General, in all six United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) confirming the information… Continue Reading
On Friday, 20 November 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened an informal, virtual meeting of the TRIPS Council to discuss a proposal (IP/C/W/669) co-sponsored by Eswatini, India, Kenya, and South Africa for a waiver from certain provisions of the… Continue Reading