[Ip-health] Médecins Sans Frontières Satellite Tuesday 5 August 2008 - XVII International AIDS Conference (Mexico) - Taking the Plunge ­ How the UNITAID Patent Pool Could Help Increase Access to Newer ARVs and Stimulate Innovati

[Clio.VAN.CAUTER@geneva.msf.org]

Satellite Session
Tuesday, 5 August 2008. 7.00 – 8.30 AM
XVII International AIDS Conference
Banamex Center, Mexico City

                            Taking the Plunge ­
         How the UNITAID Patent Pool Could Help Increase Access to
                    Newer ARVs and Stimulate Innovation

     Organized by Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Médecins Sans
   Frontières (MSF) Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines and OXFAM

The recent groundbreaking decision taken by UNITAID’s board to in principle
establish a patent pool could hold the key to future access to affordable
newer ARVs. A patent pool is a mechanism whereby a number of patents held
by different entities are made available to other interested parties for
production or further development. The patent holders in return receive
royalties paid by those using the patents. The pool manages the licenses,
patent negotiations, and royalty payments, which streamlines the process. A
patent pool could facilitate, for example, the development of pediatric
formulations or much-needed fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) for less toxic
first-line, and for second-line treatments, for which patents on individual
compounds otherwise pose a barrier. It could also help speed up the
availability of generic versions of new medicines, as production could
begin well before the 20-year patent terms expire. Critical to a patent
pool’s success, however, is the willingness of the patent holders to
include their patent rights in the pool.

This session will provide a briefing on the UNITAID patent pool, explore
the
pros and cons of patent pools and will be followed by a discussion.
Speakers will include representatives from the pharmaceutical industry,
UNITAID, and NGOs.

Speakers:

Chair: Dr. Sigrun Møgedal, Ambassador for HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Norway

Dr. Jorge Bermudez, International Secretary, UNITAID

James Love, Director, Knowledge Ecology International

Gregg H. Alton, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Gilead

Ellen ‘t Hoen, Médecins Sans Frontières

Mohga Kamal-Yanni, OXFAM GB