On January 15, 2010 the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the World Trade Organization and other economic organizations in Geneva submitted a proposal to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Brazilian note verbale to WIPO notes that the proposal:
“aims at contributing to the discussion of exceptions and limitations to patent rights. . . While not purporting to cover all interfaces of the matter with development concerns, it emphasizes the importance of promoting a wide and sustained debate on the issue in the SCP”.
On Monday, December 14, the UNITAID board passed a resolution to establish a Patent Pool for AIDS medicines. The decision caped a dramatic debate on the proposal, which had been before UNITAID since 2006, and had been discussed in other fora since 2002. The following is a statement by KEI on the UNITAID decision, followed by background on the UNITAID patent pool proposal, including a copy of the UNITAID press release.
Statement of James Love, Director of KEI, on the UNITAID Patent Pool:
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has submitted the amendment 2858 to the health reform bill, to create an Ethical Pathway for the registration of generic medicines.
For background on the substance and rationale, I have a short blog describing the amendment here /node/707.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has offered an amendment to the health care reform bill that would eliminate data exclusivity in cases where duplicating clinical trials involving human subjects would violate Article 20 of the Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human subjects. The relevant article from the Declaration of Helsinki reads as follows:
Korean civil society has asked KEI to disseminate this request for solidarity and action in their efforts to reduce the price of Gleevec, a leukemia treatment pill. The current price is approximately 2,300 USD per month for an adult patient and the Korean government has been sued by Novartis for trying to reduce the price a 14%. Korean civil society is also requesting Novartis to introduce a higher form, 400 mg, in Korea.
On October 2, 2009, KEI submitted the following request to CDC, regarding IP aspects of pandemics:
——– Forwarded Message ——–
From: James Love
To: FOIARequests@cdc.gov
Subject: FOIA Request, IP aspects of pandemics
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:36:44 -0400
India delivered the following intervention at MSF’s workshop at the World Trade Organization Public Forum today. The title of the MSF workshop was “Controversy at customs – the detention of medicines in transit: what impact on access to medicines?”
WTO Public Forum ( MSF event)
Controversy at customs – the detention of medicines in transit: what impact on access to medicines?
This note concerns two areas of policy concerning humanitarian uses of patents. (1), a recommended exception to patent rights for humanitarian uses, and (2), the licensing of patents for humanitarian uses. Both examples focus on access to essential medical technologies.… Continue Reading →