The UN General Assembly this year highlighted the need to strengthen local and regional manufacturing of health technologies through the licensing of intellectual property and the transfer of technology. The UN General Assembly convened three High-Level Meetings on health during its 78th session (UNGA 78) in New York to galvanise global efforts on universal health coverage, tuberculosis, and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, respectively. Key issues highlighted across all three meetings included:

  • the need to support low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) in developing their innovation and production capacities;
  • the importance to work with innovators to encourage the sharing of technology, know-how and intellectual property.

The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) commends Member States for shedding a spotlight on these very important points, contributing to increasing access to health technologies, especially in LMICs. In its 2023-25 Strategy, MPP identified that many countries faced supply challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and were unable to access essential health products.  Licensing and the transfer of technology to local and regional manufacturers can be important ways to support access to health products, prevent shortages of medical products and prepare for health emergencies.

Accordingly, one of MPP’s five goals in its strategy is to support diversified and sustainable manufacturing capacity. The Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response specifically highlights voluntary patent pools such as MPP as a key partner in these areas.

Charles Gore, MPP Executive Director said: “The Medicines Patent Pool firmly believes that collaborative efforts, such as voluntary licensing and technology transfer, are essential to strengthening production capacities in developing countries and supporting access to medicines in LMICs. These activities are MPP’s core work and we are committed to using this expertise to help Member States achieve their goals.”

Relevant excerpts from the three declarations:

  1. Political Declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response:

Paragraphs 11, 39 and 41 underscore the need for technology transfer, voluntary licensing, and know-how sharing in agreements where public funding supports pandemic prevention and response. Such measures enhance local and regional capacities for manufacturing, regulation, and procurement of vital health tools, and MPP and Unitaid can contribute to it.

(§11) “Recognize the need to support developing countries in building expertise in developing local, national and regional research, innovation, manufacturing, production and regulatory capacities by building on lessons learned from technology transfer hubs and intellectual property sharing mechanisms, while further enabling the increased use of health technologies and the digital transformation of health systems and acknowledging the importance of existing international efforts performed in this regard;”

(§39) “Promote the transfer of technology, on mutually agreed terms, and know-how and, encourage research, innovation and commitments to voluntary licensing, where possible, in agreements where public funding has been invested in research and development for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, to strengthen local and regional capacities for the  manufacturing, regulation and procurement of needed tools for equitable and effective access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and essential supplies, as well as for clinical trials, and to increase global supply through facilitating transfer of technology within the framework of relevant multilateral agreements;”

(§41) “Strengthen local, national and regional innovation and production capacities in developing countries, especially low- and middle-income countries through, inter alia, financial and technical support, technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, in cooperation with, support to and development of voluntary patent pools and other voluntary initiatives, such as the Medicines Patent Pool, and through leveraging innovation, such as investment of Unitaid, to make quality health products available and affordable in developing countries, promoting generic competition in line with the World Health Organization Roadmap for access to medicines, vaccines and other health products, 2019–2023;”

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  1. Political Declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage “Universal Health coverage: expanding our ambition for health and well-being in a post-COVID world”:

Paragraph 74 emphasises the importance of voluntary licensing and technology transfer in agreements where public funding has been invested in research and development for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. 

“Promote the transfer of technology and know-how and encourage research, innovation and commitments to voluntary licensing, where possible, in agreements where public funding has been invested in research and development for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, to strengthen local and regional capacities for the manufacturing, regulation and procurement of needed tools for equitable and effective access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and essential supplies, as well as for clinical trials, and to increase global supply through facilitating transfer of technology within the framework of relevant multilateral agreements;”

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  1. Political Declaration on the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the Fight Against Tuberculosis “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care”:

Paragraph 72 recognises international cooperation in advancing TB research and innovation, including fostering voluntary licensing and technology transfer.

“Commit to increase international cooperation to advance TB research and innovation, including by fostering and coordinating research and clinical trials, providing funding for collaborative research and clinical trials, supporting transparent and rapid reporting of research and clinical trial results, promoting data sharing, encouraging open innovation approaches, voluntary licensing and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms;”

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To know more on the MPP model and its work, take a look at the peer-reviewed analysis released on “Negotiating public-health intellectual property licensing agreements to increase access to health technologies: An insiders’ story.” published by BMJ Global Health in September 2023.