9 November 2016 – WTO TRIPS Council – UNCTAD’s statement on the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

On Wednesday, 9 November 2016, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) delivered the following statement at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council’s discussions of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines. UNCTAD informed WTO members that the agency had recently recommended to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consider endorsement of the Report of the High Level Panel.

The Report of the United Nations High Level Panel on Access to Medicine
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SCCR 33: Argentina, Colombia and Mexico – Note on the Draft Treaty to Protect Broadcasting Organizations

On 8 November 2016, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published a submission by Argentina, Colombia and Mexico entitled, “Note on the Draft Treaty to Protect Broadcasting Organizations” (SCCR/33/5). In their proposal, the proponents (Argentina, Colombia and Mexico) note that negotiations on a WIPO broadcast treaty have gone on for 18 years and 33 sessions of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). Continue Reading →

9 November 2016 – WTO TRIPS Council – India’s intervention on the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

On Wednesday, 9 November 2016, India delivered the following statement at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council’s discussions of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines.

Agenda item 13: the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines

Statement by India.

Thank you Chairman.

At the outset, I would like to thank delegations of Brazil, China and South Africa who are also co-sponsors of this agenda item.

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9 November 2016 – WTO TRIPS Council – WHO’s intervention on the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

On Wednesday, 9 November 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered the following statement at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council’s discussions of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines.

COUNCIL FOR TRIPS

8-9 NOVEMBER 2016

WHO STATEMENT

13. THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL’S HIGH LEVEL PANEL REPORT ON ACCESS TO MEDICINES

Thank you very much for giving WHO the opportunity to share our feedback on the Report of the High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines.

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9 November 2016 – WTO TRIPS Council – Brazil’s intervention on the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

On 9 November 2016, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council held discussions on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines (UN HLP). These timely WTO discussions on the UN HLP germinated from a 27 October 2016 request by Brazil, China, India and South Africa requesting the WTO Secretariat to place a dedicated agenda item for consideration at the 8-9 November 2016 session of the TRIPS Council entitled “the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines.”

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Lancet Commission on Essential Medicines Policies publishes 74 page report, endorses delinkage of R&D costs from drug prices

Today The Lancet Commission on Essential Medicines Policies published the 74 page report on “Essential Medicines for Universal Health Coverage.” A copy is available here.

The report is rich in data, analysis and recommendations. The report endorses the delinking of R&D costs from drug prices:

Delinking R&D costs from the price of medicines

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Some measures that a new President and/or Congress can take to lower drug prices in the near term

KEI and others working in the drug pricing space are frequently asked about measures that a new President or Congress can take to lower drug prices, in the relatively near term. The following is a list of such actions, including some that would require legislation and some that would not.

A comprehensive list of possible actions would be much longer, and this is not such a list. Our list does not include suggestions from several other groups working on drug pricing that deserve consideration, and there is nothing at this point on price spikes.

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WTO TRIPS Council – Brazil, China, India and South Africa request discussion of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

On Thursday, 27 October 2016, Brazil, China, India and South Africa submitted a communication (IP/C/W/619) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) requesting the WTO Secretariat to “place a dedicated agenda item for consideration at the 8-9 November 2016 session of the TRIPS Council entitled “the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel Report on Access to Medicines.” In the WTO submission, Brazil, China, India and South Africa enclosed the entire Final Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Continue Reading →

HIV revenues and industry investments in clinical trials for HIV

According to IMS, the global market for HIV antiviral drugs was $24.4 billion in 2015. Over the past three decades, drug companies have registered an average of one new molecular entity HIV ARV per year. This is a lot of money to spend on HIV drugs to induce just one new drug per year.

Today I took a look at data from the NIH clinicaltrials.gov database, to see what the industry was reporting in terms of trials.

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