This study has emerged from an ongoing program of trilateral cooperation between WHO, WTO and WIPO. It responds to an increasing demand, particularly in developing countries, for strengthened capacity for informed policy-making in areas of intersection between health, trade and IP, focusing on access to and innovation of medicines and other medical technologies.
This study has emerged from an ongoing program of trilateral cooperation between WHO, WTO and WIPO. It responds to an increasing demand, particularly in developing countries, for strengthened capacity for informed policy-making in areas of intersection between health, trade and IP, focusing on access to and innovation of medicines and other medical technologies.
This study has emerged from an ongoing program of trilateral cooperation between WHO, WTO and WIPO. It responds to an increasing demand, particularly in developing countries, for strengthened capacity for informed policy-making in areas of intersection between health, trade and IP, focusing on access to and innovation of medicines and other medical technologies.
This study seeks to reinforce the understanding of the interplay between the distinct policy domains of health, trade and intellectual property, and of how they affect medical innovation and access to medical technologies. The second edition comprehensively reviews new developments in key areas since the initial launch of the study in 2013.
Millions of people around the world do not have access to the medicines they need to treat disease or alleviate suffering. Strict patent regimes introduced following the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995 interfere with widespread access to medicines by creating monopolies that keep medicines prices well out of reach for many. 0The AIDS crisis in the late nineties brought access to medicines challenges to the public?s attention, when millions of people in developing countries died from an illness for which medicines existed, but were not available or affordable. Faced with an unprecedented health crisis ? 8,000 people dying daily ? the public health community launched an unprecedented global effort that eventually resulted in the large-scale availability of low-priced generic HIV medicines. 0But now, high prices of new medicines - for example, for cancer, tuberculosis and hepatitis C - are limiting access to treatment in low-, middle and high-income countries alike. Patent-based monopolies affect almost all medicines developed since 1995 in most countries, and global health policy is now at a critical juncture if the world is to avoid new access to medicines crises. 0This book discusses lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS crisis, and asks whether actions taken to extend access and save lives are exclusive to HIV or can be applied more broadly to new global access challenges.
International cooperation on public health is inherently multi-dimensional, with a focus on building effective health systems. Towards this goal, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been working closely together, along with other international partners, for almost two decades to support global endeavours to improve health outcomes. As part of their efforts to help countries develop the capacity to deal with multi-dimensional challenges in the public health sector, the three organizations have launched the second edition of the trilateral study on Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation. Access to essential medicines and the lack of research to address neglected diseases have been a major concern for many years. To promote innovation and to ensure equitable access to all vital medical technologies, such as medicines, vaccines and medical devices, policy-makers need a clear understanding of the innovation processes that lead to new technologies and the ways in which these technologies are disseminated. This publication seeks to improve understanding of the interplay between the distinct policy domains of health, trade and intellectual property, and how they affect medical innovation and access to medical technologies. This second edition captures new developments in key areas since the launch of the first study in 2013. Among the new topics covered in this edition are antimicrobial resistance and cutting-edge health technologies. The publication provides updated data on health, innovation trends in the pharmaceutical sector, and trade and tariffs relating to medical products. It includes an updated overview of access to medical technologies globally and key provisions in regional trade agreements. It also takes account of developments in intellectual property legislation and jurisprudence. Since this study was completed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, a standalone section on COVID-19 was added at the start of the publication to map the multiple challenges posed by the pandemic in relation to the integrated health, trade and IP policy frameworks set out in the study. It guides the reader to the parts of the main text that are particularly relevant to the issues raised during the pandemic. The publication is the result of a collaborative effort by the WHO, WIPO and the WTO, drawing together the three secretariats' respective areas of expertise. It is intended to inform ongoing technical cooperation activities undertaken by the three organizations and to support policy discussions. Drawing on longstanding experiences in joint technical cooperation activities, the publication has been prepared to serve the needs of policy-makers as well as lawmakers, government officials, delegates to international organizations, non-governmental organizations and researchers.
Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation examines the interplay between public health, trade and intellectual property, and how these policy domains affect medical innovation and access to medical technologies. Co-published by the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the WTO, the study draws together the three Secretariatsņ respective areas of expertise.
Introduction -- Intellectual property rights basics -- Global intellectual property holdings -- Contribution of intellectual property to U.S. economy -- The organized structure of IPR protection -- U.S. trade law -- Issues for Congress.
This book provides a comprehensive examination of the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, including analysis of its current trade and innovation strategies. Opening with a survey of the global pharmaceutical and medical device industry, Bhardwaj outlines the growing trade and trade interdependence among countries in the global supply chain. He adopts a trade competitiveness approach to analyze patterns of product specialization and examines the drug discovery process and its challenges in translating bioscientific knowledge into lifesaving products. Bhardwaj argues that further economic integration, collaborative R&D, and digital technologies may help accelerate productivity and address global challenges of escalating drug costs, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and pandemic risks. The book also considers how the industry may further green its supply chain, and thus contribute to SDG Goals 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), before closing on a review of China and India, major players who have the potential to become drivers of low-cost medical products and innovations. With its evidence-based analysis, this book will be of great interest to researchers in pharmaceutical studies, supply chain management, global health, and health economics, as well as policymakers and professionals interested in the global issues facing the industry.
