MSF at the IAC
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Taking the PlungeHow the UNITAID Patent Pool Could Help Increase Access to Newer ARVs and Stimulate InnovationTuesday, 5 August 2008. 7.00 – 8.30 am Organized by Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines and OXFAM For additional information and RSVP contact Mai Do; mai.do@paris.msf.org. 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:
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