[e-drug] Intellectual property and access to drugs: prospects for the future

E-DRUG: Round Table: Intellectual property in connection with access to drugs: prospects for the future. In Barcelona
-----------------------------------------------

Farmacèutics Mundi and Medicus Mundi Catalunya are carrying out the
awareness-raising campaign called “Health for development”. Its goal is to
inform about the links between human rights, health and development in
order to contribute, in the mid-term, to improving the Catalan health
cooperation.

Throughout 2008 we have analyzed the different aspects of medicines:
access to drugs as a human right, the problem of R+D for medicines against
the diseases of the South, ethics in clinical tests and the information of
medicines that is given to society, among other issues.

In this last round table, covering access to drugs, we want to touch on
the prospects for the future of intellectual property in connection with
medicines, and to debate about which tools are available or are being
developed at international level in order to address this issue

Round Table: Intellectual property in connection with access to drugs:
prospects for the future

9 December 2008, at 7 p.m. Sala d’actes, Escola d’Administració Pública de
Catalunya. C/Girona, 20. Barcelona (Spain)

Presenter and moderator: Joan Rovira, emeritus professor of Economic
Theory of the University of Barcelona and member of the Advisory Committee
of the campaign.

- The patent pool and the UNITAID initiative. Ellen’T Hoen, coordinator of
institutional relations for the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
of Doctors Without Borders.

- Flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement and their use by the developing
countries. Sandra Negro, professor of International Public Law of the
University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), consultant in various
international agencies and expert in economic integration and
international trade law.

- The work of IGWG and the application of the Global Strategy of WHO.
Judit Rius, lawyer at Knowledge Ecology International and member of the
Advisory Committee of the campaign