[Re-posted from Knowledge Ecology International.] By James Love, Director of Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) – 22 May 2019 Perhaps the toughest issue in the 72nd World Health Assembly negotiations on a WHO transparency resolution concerns the proposal to require public reporting of the costs of each clinical trial undertaken for development of drugs, vaccines, cell- […] Continue reading ->
The room holding the high-level side event on transparency of pharmaceutical product markets was overflowing today – with dozens of people standing to hear the speakers – many of them ministers of health, reflecting the importance of the topic at the 72nd World Health Assembly. Image Credits: Catherine Saez. Continue reading ->
Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, shared his view on fair pricing with Health Policy Watch: “Most of us can probably agree that innovation is meaningless if it does not reach patients. At the same time, a Fair Price must strike a balance between a price that is […] Continue reading ->
More than 100 civil society organisations and health experts signed on to an open letter yesterday calling out Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the UK and Australia, along with Austria and the United States, as wanting to “derail” and “weaken” the transparency resolution on drug prices and R&D costs. Image Credits: CDDEP. Continue reading ->
A number of developed countries are working to delay a landmark proposal at the World Health Organization by Italy to increase transparency of drug prices and R&D costs in an effort to make medicines more affordable, according to sources. The Italian proposal has garnered a number of supporters, including within Europe; but at an informal WHO consultation today and last week at the European Union, countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have begun pushing for postponement of discussions, sources said. [Now updated with new version of proposal!] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization held an information session with member states and non-state actors last week to present the detailed findings of its 2018 report on cancer medicines pricing. It then posted the 72 detailed slides from the information session on its website. Image Credits: WHO. Continue reading ->
New York – Strengthening references to sexual and reproductive health and rights, marginalised people, and public-private partnerships that ensure rights and inclusion, were among the core proposals pitched yesterday at a United Nations multi-stakeholder meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), involving representatives of government, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector. The milestone meeting […] Continue reading ->
Ten countries, including five European Union (EU) member states, have now lined up in support of a landmark resolution to increase transparency of drug prices globally, which is expected to be a key focus of deliberations by WHO member states as they convene for the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA), May 20-28 in Geneva. Image […] Continue reading ->
European Union health ministers’ meeting last week in Romania addressed ways to ensure access to medicines and treatment, especially for youth or those with rare diseases. For innovative and expensive medicines, they discussed possibilities “for the time period between the granting of the marketing authorization, the actual placement on the market and the decision to […] Continue reading ->
Raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverage products by more than 50 percent could prevent more than 50 million premature deaths due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) over the next 50 years, while yielding over US$ 20 trillion in revenue. That is the conclusion of a report by a global task force headed by philanthropist […] Continue reading ->