KEI Comments in response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Request for Information (RFI), regarding National Priorities for Artificial Intelligence

Robot working on laptop

KEI Comments in response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Request for Information (RFI), regarding National Priorities for Artificial Intelligence, as noticed on May 23, 2023 in the Federal Register, 88 FR 34194. July 7, 2023 Knowledge… Continue Reading

Reference Pricing in US Government COVID-19-related Contracts

Knowledge Ecology International conducted a review of contracts entered into by the US government concerning COVID-19-related treatments, diagnostics, vaccines, and other countermeasure-related technologies, regarding reference pricing clauses in the agreements. Of the 104 contracts reviewed, it is difficult to say… Continue Reading

166 contracts disclosed in SEC filings include authorizations to use U.S. patents without consent from patent holders

On 12 October 2022, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) published a briefing note on the U.S. federal government FAR 52.227-1 authorizations (for non voluntary use of patents) disclosed in 166 SEC exhibits. KEI Briefing Note 2022:2, Federal government FAR 52.227-1 authorizations… Continue Reading

KEI review of 62 COVID 19 contracts reveals 59 authorizations for non-voluntary use of third party patents under 28 USC 1498

Since the COVID 19 Pandemic began, there has been a spirited debate over patent rights, including a highly publicized 20 month debate over a proposed WTO waiver on intellectual property rights. During that time a handful of countries have taken… Continue Reading

Documents from NIH Freedom of Information requests

ACTIV Partnership Records Records received via the KEI-NIH Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit regarding an April 17, 2020 FOIA request for records relating to the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) partnership, the private-public partnership announced by the… Continue Reading

U.S. Government’s $1.2 Billion Contract for Merck’s Investigational COVID-19 Drug Molnupiravir Redacts IP Terms, Contains Donation Clause and Very Limited Technology Transfer License

(For more resources, please see our page on molnupiravir.) Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) has obtained a copy of the $1.2 billion contract between the U.S. government and Merck to advance purchase 1,696,629 treatment courses of molnupiravir, an investigational COVID-19 drug… Continue Reading

KEI and UACT Joint Comments to the NIH Regarding Exclusive License to Syncopation for CAR Therapy

Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) and the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT) submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Friday July 9, 2021 regarding the “Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Development and Commercialization of Monospecific… Continue Reading

Texas A&M Vaccine Manufacturing Contract Shows that cGMP Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccines Can Start in Five Months 

A $265 million COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing contract between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) to manufacture the Novavax and other COVID-19 vaccines demonstrates that a manufacturing facility can be retrofitted to… Continue Reading

$1.3 Billion Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Development Contract Contains Broad Redactions Relating to Public’s Rights in Inventions

On March 31, 2020, KEI received a copy of the contract between Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the development of J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine.The contract, which is now valued at $1.3 billion,… Continue Reading