Blog

The latest thoughts from Medicines Law & Policy partners.

Cherry blossom

The Pandemic Agreement is here

In December 2021, the member states of the World Health Organization decided “to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument...

Uganda tells ARIPO: No more patents for pharmaceuticals

Uganda has notified the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) that pharmaceutical inventions are not eligible for patentability in the country, Managing IP reported. With...

Medicines Law & Policy statement at WHO PABS negotiations (IGWG 5)

Co-chairs, Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words.  My comments address issues related to technology transfer (TT), a topic we have been...

Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation meets AbbVie in court, looking to advance its pricing case

“The value of a human life is infinite, but unfortunately our healthcare budget is not,” said former Dutch Health Minister Bruno Bruins, quoted by...
INB co-chairs, Precious Matsoso from South Africa and Roland Driece from the Netherlands opening the session on 18 June

Seven recommendations for sharing intellectual property, know-how and technology – report of Global Expert...

Negotiators of a Pandemic Treaty should heed the recommendations, published 15 July in the BMJ Global Health, to design a fair global system for...

The Italian Exception – A personalised approach to accessing high-priced patented medicines

At the end of March 2017, the Italian Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin has authorised the importation of generic medicines. She did this with...

How not to solve a crisis: The European Commission’s Plan for Transferable Data Exclusivity...

Drug-resistant infections, sometimes called “superbugs,” killed an estimated 1.27 million people in 2019, a number set to rise to 50 million by 2050. It is...

Current drafts of the WHO Pandemic Accord lack a provision for access to knowhow/trade...

Negotiations are currently taking place at the World Health Organization (WHO) to conclude a new pandemic agreement by May 2024. The objective of the...

The Most Common Misunderstanding about Compulsory Licensing

The belief that a country can only use compulsory licensing in cases of public health emergencies is a myth that has proven difficult to...

Wrapping up 2024: Noteworthy events in medicines law and policy around the globe

Welcome to Medicines Law & Policy’s  end of the year blog, our highly biased annual overview of memorable medicines law and policy events. January At the...