E-DRUG: UACT Statement on GSK announcement to include anti-cancer agents to MPP
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Dear all,
Please find below the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT)
statement on the recent GSK announcement.
Statement by the Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment on
GlaxoSmithKline's plans to license its patents on anti-cancer medicines to
the Medicines Patent Pool.
The Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT) welcomes the announcement
by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK outlining a new and more flexible approach to patents and intellectual property (IP) to increase access to medicines.
UACT in particular welcomes GSK's plans to license patents to its oncology
products that are currently in development to the Medicines Patent Pool
(MPP) for use in developing countries.
UACT recognizes that many details need to be worked out to ensure GSK’s
announcement will be followed with successful negotiation of licenses with
a geographical territory and licensing terms that are acceptable and
effective in expanding access. It is significant and encouraging that GSK
is seeking collaboration with the MPP, a public health driven licensing
mechanism that has a proven track record of successfully concluding patent
license agreements for HIV and HCV. MPP agreements are transparent, include
requirements for ensuring the quality of medicines and do not attach
onerous restrictions on supply of generic products to countries that are
not included in the agreement.
The GSK announcement is a first step for cancer patient and it is now
important that other oncology companies follow suit. 'There are existing
medicines that should be available to people with cancer in low- and
middle-income countries today, yet many patients will not receive them,”
says Dr. Miriam Mutebi, a breast surgical oncologist in Kenya.'Recently
the World Health Organization has included some new cancer medicines on the
Essential Medicines List, but their high prices remain an important
barrier.'
GSK CEO Sir Andrew Witty announced the new policy on 31 March at a meeting
of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines
http://www.unsgaccessmeds.org/#homepage-1
The Panel is considering over 170 proposals to increase access to medicines. Several of the submissions made to the UNHLP in March recommend licensing and patent pooling of new essential medicines including oncology products.
UACT expects the High-Level Panel to act on proposals to progressively
delink R&D cost from medicines prices, which will lead to much needed
reforms in the way new medicines are developed. The GSK announcement should
be seen as one of the measures that are needed to address access problems
in the near term, while governments continue to work, in parallel, on the
implementation of more transformative reforms.
CONTACT:
Jordan Jarvis
Jordan@ncdaction.org
ABOUT US:
The Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT) is an
international network of people who share the conviction that cancer
treatment and care should be available everywhere for everyone regardless
of gender, age, nationality, or financial resources. For more information
about UACT, please visit http://cancerunion.org/about.html.
Jordan Jarvis
Executive Director Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network
Join our online community: ypchronic.org, ghdonline.org/yp-chronic
Jordan Jarvis <jordan.donn.jarvis@gmail.com>