29 January 2019
Speaker: Esteban Burrone
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the report.
We note that the document mentions voluntary license agreements as one option to enhance affordability and accessibility.
Voluntary licences have played a strong role in facilitating access in other areas such as HIV and hepatitis C. Licences between the MPP and patent holders have enabled early entry of generic manufacturers and price competition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). As a result, health systems were able to procure effective new treatments at more affordable prices. Originators received a royalty. And millions of people gained access to treatments.
Last year, following strong support from WHO Member States, the MPP expanded its mandate to work on other patented essential medicines, which could include priority cancer medicines. We are currently working with the WHO and others to identify treatments for which a similar model could be applied.
Based on our experience, we would therefore like to focus our intervention today on the use of voluntary licensing in the field of cancer.
We look forward to continuing to work with WHO and its Member States to accelerate access to essential medicines in LMICs.
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.