KEI comments on the resolution WHA73: “Covid-19 Response” proposed by the European Union

On Friday, 24 April 2020, Knowledge Ecology International submitted comments on the resolution WHA73: “Covid-19 Response” proposed by the European Union (EU). The original zero draft text and the note verbale proposed by the European Union can be found here.… Continue Reading

Open letter asking 37 WTO Members to declare themselves eligible to import medicines manufactured under compulsory license in another country, under 31bis of TRIPS Agreement

Background In 2001, the World Trade Organization (WTO) began negotiations on the rules regarding patents and access to medicine. While several issues were clarified and resolved in the November 2001 “Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health”, the negotiations took… Continue Reading

Open letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) and its Member States on the proposal by Costa Rica to create a global pool for rights in the data, knowledge and technologies useful in the prevention, detection and treatment of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic

March 27, 2020. We are writing to ask the WHO and its Member States to support the proposal by Costa Rica for the creation of a global pooling mechanism for rights in the data, knowledge and technologies useful in the… Continue Reading

FDA States Submission Date of Gilead’s Coronavirus Treatment Orphan Status Application is ‘Confidential’

On Monday March 23, 2020, Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir received orphan designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of COVID-19. Remdesivir has been reported to be one of the candidates to potentially treat COVID-19, which the… Continue Reading

FDA gives Gilead a seven year regulatory monopoly for remdesivir to treat COVID-19, on grounds it is an “Orphan” treating a rare disease

Today the FDA granted Gilead Orphan Drug status for remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19, on grounds this is a rare disease. The morning of the designation, the U.S. had confirmed, through testing, more than 35 thousand cases, including 8,477… Continue Reading

Israel issues compulsory license to allow the government to import generic versions of Kaletra

(More on COVID-19 here: https://www.keionline.org/coronavirus) On Wednesday, 18 March 2020 (22nd of Adar, 5780), Israel’s Minister of Health, MP Rabbi Yaacov Litzman, issued a Permit to the State to Exploit an Invention Pursuant to Chapter Six, Article Three of the… Continue Reading

Resolution to require the National Government to establish compulsory licenses and other measures to guarantee free and affordable access to pharmaceutical products and medical technologies in the Declaration of Sanitary Emergency due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and other variations, as well as biosafety protocols and instruments for health personnel, postgraduates and students of the Public Health System.

Resolution to require the National Government to establish compulsory licenses and other measures to guarantee free and affordable access to pharmaceutical products and medical technologies in the Declaration of Sanitary Emergency due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and other variations,… Continue Reading

KEI Blogs and Reseach notes on COVID-19/Coronavirus

COVID-19 Gov’t Contracts: KEI has obtained numerous contracts between the federal government and pharmaceutical companies regarding COVID-19 medical technologies via the Freedom of Information act. For these and other contracts, please see: https://www.keionline.org/covid-contracts. COVID-19 Vaccine Manufacturing: KEI has gathered data… Continue Reading

English translation of Chile “RESOLUTION FOR THE GRANTING OF NON-VOLUNTARY LICENSES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 51º Nº 2 OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY LAW Nº 19.030 TO FACILITATE ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY OF MEDICINES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CURE OF CORONAVIRUS COVID-19”

The following is an English translation resolution 896, that was adopted by the Chile Chamber of Deputies on March 17, 2020, by a vote of 127 to 0. The original resolution, in Spanish, is available here. KEI has a blog… Continue Reading