E-DRUG: Monday 19 September: Medicines Patent Pool Panel at WTO Public Forum
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Dear all,
The Medicines Patent Pool will be hosting a session at the World Trade
Organization Public Forum on MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER.
Entitled "Averting the coming treatment crisis in a changing intellectual
property landscape," it will take place from 14:00 - 16:00 in Room D, 3rd
Floor, Main Building, at the WTO in Geneva.
FYI: Those interested in participating should make sure they are
registered for the WTO Public Forum by WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER. This can be
done online here:
https://meetings.wto.org/Forums/Registrant/SymposiumRegistration.aspx?Langu
age=E
The speaker list and session abstract are below. More information is also
available from the Pool's website at: www.medicinespatentpool.org
SPEAKERS:
Michelle Childs Director of Policy and Advocacy, Campaign for Access to
Essential Medicines at Médecins Sans Frontières
Carlos Correa Professor, Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary
Studies on Industrial Property and Economics Law, University of Buenos
Aires
Nelson Otwoma National Coordinator/CEO, National Empowerment Network of
People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya; UNITAID Board Member
Ellen 't Hoen Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool
MODERATOR/COMMENTATOR:
Peter Beyer Senior Advisor, Department of Public Health, Innovation and
Intellectual Property, WHO
ABSTRACT:
HIV remains a dire threat to public health around the world. The growing
need for newer, safer medicines recommended by the World Health
Organization many of which will now be patented - could cause treatment
costs to skyrocket to levels that would cripple developing country health
budgets or place an unbearable burden on donor nations who would fund it.
A solution must be found for the over 33 million people living with HIV
who need medicines to stay alive, at a price that they can afford. At the
same time, pharmaceutical company business models currently rely on the
intellectual property system to make
life-saving drugs.
This session will ask how the needs of people living with HIV can be met
in the face of dwindling health budgets and changing IP norms that are
threatening the production of cheap generic drugs which until now have
been the main source of treatment in the developing world. It will also
present the Medicines Patent Pool as an innovative new solution that could
both meet the needs of people living with HIV and ensure that
pharmaceutical companies get fair royalties within the existing IP system.
Panellists will discuss the role of the Medicines Patent Pool in
increasing access to more appropriate and affordable medicines for the
treatment of HIV, how it complements existing TRIPS-compliant
flexibilities, and what additional solutions are needed to ensure that
countries are able to meet the needs of their people.
Kaitlin Mara <kmara@medicinespatentpool.org>