CARB-X , a global private-public partnership for research on antimicrobial resistance, this week announced its 2018 rounds of funding for research on "antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics, devices and other life-saving products to respond to the threat of drug-resistant bacteria." Continue reading ->
The unexpected announcement in December of the resignation of the Medicines Patent Pool executive director left the Pool searching for its new head. Marie-Paule Kieny, former World Health Organization assistant director general, now chair of the MPP governance board stepped in to oversee the MPP while the search goes on. She sat down recently for an interview with Intellectual Property Watch to explain that MPP is conducting business as usual, and is keeping firm in its plan to release the results of a feasibility study analysing the possibility for MPP to extend its licensing activities to other essential medicines still under patent. Continue reading ->
A consortium including the Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative has launched a groundbreaking open source drug discovery project as way to find new drugs to treat mycetoma, a "devastating disease for which current treatments are ineffective, expensive, and toxic," the group said. Continue reading ->
Vaccination will help prevent some 24 million people from falling into poverty by 2030 in addition to saving millions of lives, shows a new study co-authored by Harvard University and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Continue reading ->
The International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association has launched an information campaign on biosimilar medicines in order to raise worldwide understanding and acceptance of biosimilar medicines. Continue reading ->
The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) yesterday announced the release of a new strategy on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Continue reading ->
An alliance of over a hundred industries seeking to curb antimicrobial resistance launched its first report today. According to the report, a number of companies are heavily investing in research and development, and work to improve access to their diagnostic products and preventing therapies. Continue reading ->
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced today that MedsPaL, its database of information on the patent and licensing status of selected HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis medicines, now extends to patented treatments on the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines. New patents data include medicines for leukaemia, breast cancer and other cancer indications. Continue reading ->
A delegation of heads of biotechnology companies visited Geneva this month to present the International Confederation of Biotechnology Trade Associations (ICBA). The ICBA was created in 2012, but is now looking to make its voice heard in Geneva and inform policy discussions, and is finding it is not easy to become an observer in some organisations. They also underlined the importance of intellectual property for the biotech sector, in particular to attract indispensable capital. The delegation sat down with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez to talk about their Geneva visit. Continue reading ->
On Monday, 27 November, the WHO published the recommendations of the overall programme review of the global strategy and plan of action on public, health innovation and intellectual property (EB142/14). The expert panel provided 33 recommendations which included 17 forward looking”high-priority actions” including on transparency and delinkage, writes Thiru Balasubramaniam. Continue reading ->