4 July 2024
MPP’s paper: “Intellectual Property Licensing of Therapeutics During the COVID-19 Crisis: Lessons Learnt for Pandemic Preparedness and Response” was published in Globalization and Health.
Authored by MPP colleagues Tiwadayo Braimoh, Esteban Burrone, Charles Gore and MPP board member Pushpa Vijayaraghavan, this paper highlights the role of voluntary licensing in facilitating access to COVID-19 therapeutics in low- and middle-income countries. It underscores the importance of early licensing, the sharing of know-how and the quick provision of critical inputs, the efficiency of quality assurance mechanisms, local/regional manufacturing, non-exclusive agreements, among other recommendations.
The full paper can be accessed here for a comprehensive understanding of the lessons learnt and recommendations for preparedness and response to future pandemics.
Access the paper
Press and Media
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.