[Ip-health] more on the HIF - December 1st event at Georgetown University, 1-5 pm

[Noah B. Novogrodsky]

Please distribute widely

Georgetown University and Incentives for Global Health invite you to the
upcoming symposium

 "Making New Medicines Accessible to All:  The Health Impact Fund"

Hosted by Dr. John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University and
Dr. Thomas Pogge, Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International
Affairs
at Yale University and founder of Incentives for Global Health

Monday, December 1, 2008
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Health Impact Fund


Georgetown University - Gaston Hall
37th and O Streets, NW
Washington, DC


Description
Pharmaceuticals hold the promise of saving many lives around the world.
However, the cost of research and development of new medicines is often
prohibitive.
To provide wide access to the most effective pharmaceuticals, prices
need
to be low enough for people to afford-but low prices do not create
strong incentives for innovators to invest in research and development.

The Health Impact Fund (HIF) is a new way of stimulating research and
development of life-saving pharmaceuticals. The proposed Fund is an
optional
mechanism that offers pharmaceutical innovators a supplementary reward
based
on the health impact of their products if they agree to sell those
products
at cost. This Fund is to be financed mainly by governments and will
incentivize innovation and increase access to medicines that meet
critical
health needs.

More information, including the full text of the proposal, is available
at
www.healthimpactfund.org.

The American launch of the HIF will be held on the afternoon of December
1st
at Georgetown University, building on momentum from a series of
international forums and events. This event will help raise awareness
and
support for this new mechanism as we transition toward a new
presidential
administration. Invited participants include prominent members of the
academic, corporate and governmental sectors.  It is especially
appropriate
to hold this conference as we commemorate World AIDS Day on December
1st.

Please register for the event at
https://www4.georgetown.edu/uis/keybridge/keyform/form.cfm?FormID=2763