The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a set of negotiating objectives for renegotiating the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that include its hopes for elevating intellectual property in the trade deal. Included in the list: force Canada and Mexico to ratify international treaties, accept US law on IP protection and create conditions for "strong" IP enforcement especially online, and ensure ample protection for products with generic names. Perhaps oddly, there is only one mention of trade, which includes respect for a 2001 text at the World Trade Organization on IP and public health. Continue reading ->
The World Intellectual Property Organization this week held an event that delved into research, markets and access for vaccines with panels that showed unusual breadth of representation for the UN IP agency. But health advocates have taken issue with the wording of a report released by WIPO at the event. Continue reading ->
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) announced today that it has secured deals for two key generic hepatitis C medicines, dropping prices dramatically. Continue reading ->
A health advocacy group today announced that it has challenged a set of United States patents for a hepatitis C medicine. The group says drug maker Gilead Sciences has obtained unmerited patents for sofosbuvir, blocking millions of US patients from affordable treatment. Continue reading ->
CARB-X, an initiative aimed at accelerating innovation in antibacterial treatment, today announced an award to a company to accelerate development of a new bioengineered antimicrobial intended to be applied directly to affected tissues. This follows an announcement earlier this month of funding another firm to develop a new antibiotic class to treat drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Continue reading ->
The UN World Health Organization today announced it has established a new high-level global commission on noncommunicable diseases, to be chaired by former WHO director general candidate Sania Nishtar of Pakistan. Continue reading ->
The 2017 Social Forum, an annual meeting convened by the Human Rights Council, is being held next week in Geneva, and will focus on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of the HIV epidemic and other communicable diseases and epidemics. Continue reading ->
A new report issued today by the World Health Organization shows a “serious lack” of new antibiotics in development, even as resistance to existing antibiotics are on the rise. The head of the WHO said the report shows an “urgent need” for investment into research and development. In addition, a second report today from WHO […] Continue reading ->
Experts at a one-day workshop in Washington DC next week will discuss public interest aspects of patents and two breakthrough new medical technologies related to gene editing (CRISPR) and cancer treatment (CAR T). Continue reading ->
The Amsterdam-based Access to Medicines Foundation today published the methodology it will use for its 2018 framework for evaluating how pharmaceutical companies are taking action to limit antimicrobial resistance, addressing the rising the global problem of overuse of antibiotics leading to resistance with few new ones in the pipeline. Continue reading ->