[e-drug] Access to Medicines Index Calls on Companies to Join Medicines Patent Pool

e-drug
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E-DRUG: Access to Medicines Index Calls on Companies to Join Medicines Patent Pool
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28 NOVEMBER 2012: The newly released 2012 Access to Medicines Index has
called on companies to join Medicines Patent Pool, 'considered to be the
best hope for ensuring sustained access to new first-line treatments' for
HIV.

The Index rates the largest 20 pharmaceutical companies performance in
improving access to medicine in developing countries. Engagement with the
Medicines Patent Pool , and voluntary licensing practices in general, are
criteria on which companies are judged. The full report is available here:
http://goo.gl/uaTXX [pdf link].

Gilead Sciences leads the 2012 Access to Medicines ranking for Patents &
Licensing ¡© an improvement from fourth to first place 'attributable to its
engagement with the Medicines Patent Pool and its increasing use of
non-exclusive voluntary licences as a mechanism for tapping into the
capacity of generic producers to support access to medicine,' the report
states.

It further praised Gilead Sciences for setting 'a very good example by
taking an advocacy position within the industry regarding the Medicines
Patent Pool and its novel licensing strategy, seeking actively to shape
opinions within the industry and to drive adoption of what it sees as good
practice.'

Companies with relevant HIV medicines also received points on the index
for entering negotiation with the Pool - GlaxoSmithKline,
Boehringer-Ingelheim, Roche, and Bristol-Myers Squibb were among those
noted for entering into talks to license to the Pool.

The Index suggests that these companies can improve access to medicines by
concluding negotiations by licensing to the Patent Pool, and calls on the
remaining three companies not yet in negotiations to participate. In
particular it urges Johnson & Johnson to 'enter formal negotiations with
the Medicines Patent Pool'.

The Index also says further progress is needed on non-exclusive voluntary
licensing practices, in particular that greater geographical scope and
provisions for technology transfer should be emphasised in future
licensing agreements. And it rewards companies for overall transparency
regarding the details of access programmes. Licences to the Medicines
Patent Pool are unique in being posted publicly online for anyone to read.

The Medicines Patent Pool has issued an analysis of licensing policies
likely to most profoundly affect access to medicines, which is available
here:http://goo.gl/NiKtu [pdf link].

Kaitlin Mara
Medicines Patent Pool
kmara@medicinespatentpool.org

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E-DRUG: Access to Medicines Index Calls on Companies to Join Medicines Patent Pool (2)
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[It is mostly the multinationals that have been targeted since they tend to hold the patents of interest. However, there has been some contact and agreements signed with generic manufacturers on sublicences, including MedChem, Aurabindo and Emcure. More details available at:
http://www.medicinespatentpool.org/licensing/company-engagement. DB]

Dear All,

How many Indian Pharma companies have joined the Patent Pool ??

Best Wishes for the New Year !!

S Fernandes
Pharmacist. Lusaka

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E-DRUG: Access to Medicines Index Calls on Companies to Join Medicines Patent Pool (3)
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[In response to S Fernandes' question on how many Indian companies have joined the Patent Pool. DB]

Thanks for your interest. So far, five Indian pharmaceutical companies
have taken sub-licences from the Pool. They are:

Aurobindo Pharma Limited
Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited
Hetero Labs
Laurus Labs
MedChem

You can find more details on the Pool website here:
http://www.medicinespatentpool.org/licensing/.

Many thanks,

Richard Warren
Medicine Patent Pool
rwarren@medicinespatentpool.org