E-DRUG: DNDi response to UN Secretary-General's report on HLP on Innovation & Access
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http://www.dndi.org/2016/advocacy/dndi-response-unhlp-report/
DNDi response to the Report of the United Nations Secretary-Generals
High-Level Panel on Innovation and Access to Health Technologies
[14 September, 2016]
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) today welcomes the
release of the report of the United Nations Secretary Generals High-Level
Panel on Innovation and Access to Health Technologies.
The Panel has clearly confirmed the policy misalignment between intellectual
property and trade rules, international human rights obligations, and public
health objectives. It has underlined many immediate access challenges and
steps that must be taken to overcome them, and highlighted that existing
funding and incentive mechanisms are not adequate to stimulate innovation to
address global public health needs. The report recommends several ways for
governments to act. They should:
* initiate intergovernmental negotiations for a global R&D Convention
that delinks the cost of innovation from prices;
* negotiate a Code of Principles to be adopted by all R&D players,
ensuring innovation delivers affordable and accessible products;
* require transparency from all R&D players, especially on R&D costs;
and
* ensure a public return on taxpayer-funded contributions to R&D.
Response from DNDi Executive Director Dr Bernard Pécoul:
Governments mustnt allow the report to become yet another exercise that
describes the current failures of the medical innovation system without
contributing concrete steps to address those failures. Responsibility now
clearly falls on them at the highest political levels to act by putting in
place innovative and practical solutions.
We welcome the call for the UN Secretary-General to set up a process where
governments will negotiate an R&D Convention, based on the principle of
delinkage, so that medical innovation can be steered towards public health
priorities and deliver affordably priced products. Sustainable solutions are
needed.
The first steps can be taken at next weeks UN High-Level Meeting on
Antimicrobial Resistance, where we expect governments to call for
alternative models of R&D that delink R&D costs from prices and sales. New
incentives and financing mechanisms are needed for AMR, and new money must
ensure sustainable access to new tools, such as through a framework for R&D
and Stewardship.
For enquiries contact:
James Arkinstall +41 79 392 9823;
Ilan Moss +1 646 266 5216
Spokespeople available.
Rachel Cohen
Drugs for Neglected Diseases Inititative
"Rachel M. Cohen" <rachel.cohen72@gmail.com>