Response to Questions to KEI from Trade Policy Staff Committee in Docket No. USTR-2022-0016, Special 301

In 2023, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has elected to continue conducting its Special 301 Review process virtually, with no in-person hearing, as in the years prior to 2020. In this virtual process, after stakeholders have submitted… Continue Reading

Bolivia seeks to import COVID-19 vaccines from Biolyse, if Canada grants them a compulsory license

Today the government of Bolivia and Biolyse, a company based in Canada, signed an agreement to acquire COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by the company, if Canada grants them a compulsory license. Biolyse is a manufacturer of cancer drugs with the potential… Continue Reading

41 Canadian Experts Request Amendment to Schedule 1 of the Patent Act to include COVID-19 vaccines

On April 27th, a letter signed by 41 Canadian experts was sent to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Innovation, Science & Industry, and the Minister of Health. The letter requests the amendment of Schedule 1 of the… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council (October 2020): European Union dismisses concerns that IPRs are a barrier to COVID-19 medicines and technologies

On Friday, 16 October 2020, the European Union provided the following perspectives during a three hour debate on the proposed waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 co-sponsored by Eswatini, Kenya,… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council (October 2020): Hungary answers queries posed by South Africa regarding Hungarian compulsory licensing provisions

At the October 2020 session of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council, under agenda item 1, IP measures in the context of COVID-19, the European Union read out Hungary’s detailed responses to questions posed in July 2020 (at the… Continue Reading

UK Labour Party’s new pledge on innovation and affordability of medicines: Medicine for the Many

The UK Labour Party Document, “Medicines-For-The-Many” is 52 pages long, including 9 pages of end notes. It is an ambitious document. The document discusses, in some detail, innovation as well as access and affordability. The reforms proposed include measures that… Continue Reading

U.K. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn calls for use of compulsory licensing, public sector manufacturing and pricing controls on drugs using government funded inventions

Today, in his address to the U.K. Labour party conference, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn made the following statement on drug patents and prices. Yesterday I met Luis Walker, a wonderful nine-year-old boy. Luis is living with cystic fibrosis. Every day… Continue Reading

60 House Democrats introduce bill on Medicare negotiations that includes compulsory licensing provisions to protect patients when price negotiations break down.

The new House democrats medicare negotiations bill represents a turning point, with broad support for using robust compulsory licensing authority to protect access if negotiations on prices break down. The press conference announcing the bill featured several Democratic members of… Continue Reading