News Room
WHO Elevates IP Issues To Director General’s Office
(IP Watch - Nov. 20, 2007) The World Health Organization, which has intensively debated intellectual property rights issues in recent years, has restructured its management of the issues, elevating IP to the director general’s office.
Legislative Attack on Personalized Medicine
(Xconomy.com - Nov. 19, 2007) On February 9, 2007, Representative Xavier Becerra introduced the Genomic Research and Accessibility Act, a bill that, once enacted, is purported to put an immediate end to the practice of patenting any and all portions of the human genome. While Representative Becerra’s statements promise innovation, enactment of his simple bill into law will have the opposite effect with respect to personalized medicine.
Addressing Unmet Developing World Health Needs
(Medical News Today - Nov. 12, 2007) Despite the efforts of delegates and staff, the second IGWG meeting is ending with no agreed strategy and plan of action, and more work will be needed to complete this process before the next World Health Assembly in May 2008.
WHO IP And Health Group Turns To IP; Meeting To Continue In 2008
(IP Watch - Nov. 9, 2007) Negotiators at this week’s World Health Organization meeting on intellectual property, innovation and public health appeared to reach preliminary agreement Friday on principles establishing that IP rights should not negatively impact public health and should fit with the needs of developing countries. On Friday, talks moved to the controversial section of the draft text on intellectual property rights shortly before organisers announced that the meeting will be continued next year.
IAPO calls on WHO to bring patient groups to the centre of discussions on public health, innovation and intellectual property
(IAPO Press Release - Nov. 7, 2007) The International Alliance of Patient’s Organizations held an educational seminar in Geneva which highlighted the critical importance of including patients in the ongoing WHO discussions on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property.
IAPO_Press_Release_071107.pdf 86,63 kB
Curing the Diseases of Poverty
(Wall Street Journal - Nov. 6, 2007) Many of the technocrats gathering in Geneva for the second IGWG meeting on public health and innovation believe that eliminating drug patents will usher in a new era of global health and prosperity. Unfortunately for us in the poorest nations, health activists are missing the forest for the trees. Inadequate infrastructure, not price, is the chief obstacle blocking access of high-quality medicine to poor countries.
R&D into Developing World Diseases Continues to Expand
(Medical News Today - Nov. 6, 2007) A recent survey confirms that the trend of increasing industry R&D for diseases of the developing world, has been maintained in 2007. IFPMA's member companies are now working on 50 potential medicines in this area, compared to 43 such projects at the end of 2006.
WHO health chief urges fast action on cheap drugs
(Reuters Africa - Nov. 5, 2007) World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Margaret Chan called for quick global agreement on Monday to ensure people in poor countries can get the drugs they need at affordable prices.
