E-DRUG: Medicines Patent Pool negotiations
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Medicines Patent Pool in Negotiation with Key HIV and AIDS Medicines Patent Holder:
On 1 December 2010, the Medicines Patent Pool sent out letters to key patent holders inviting them to formally begin negotiations to license their HIV medicines patents to the Pool, and requesting a reply by January 31, 2011. The Pool has now received responses from all of the patent holders.
F. Hoffman-La Roche, Gilead Sciences, Sequoia Pharmaceuticals, and ViiV Healthcare (a joint venture of GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer) have taken the lead and have entered or are preparing to enter into active negotiations with the Pool. The Pool received its first licence in September 2010 from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is in ongoing discussions regarding further licensing opportunities with the NIH.
At the same time, the Pool is encouraged that some patent-holders have begun adopting 'policies supported by the Pool, such as increased adoption of voluntary licensing, including for pipeline products still in development. The Pool looks forward to continuing to dialogue with all relevant patent holders to achieve the goal of increasing access to medicines for people living with HIV in developing countries.
“This represents great progress in pioneering a model that works for companies and for patients who need access to new and better medicines. But we need other patent holders to engage with the Pool too. It is only through conversation that we can work through differences and achieve critical public health goals,” said Ellen ‘t Hoen, executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool.
A table summarising the current status of engagement with patent holders, and additional information (including the responses from companies) has just been made live on our website here: http://www.medicinespatentpool.org/LICENSING/Company-Engagement
A Guardian piece on the latest information is available here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2011/feb/10/drugs-pharmaceuticals-industry
Kaitlin Mara <kmara@medicinespatentpool.org>