15 September 2024
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 9.7 million deaths in 2022, or nearly one in six deaths.
While there has been tremendous progress in new technologies to treat cancer, major challenges persist in many low- and middle-income countries that face inequity in access to new-generation cancer medicines which could allow patients to live better and longer.
The MPP model, through voluntary licensing, enables access to quality-assured affordable versions of innovative medicines in underserved territories.
Access our briefing document on MPP’s activities in cancer
More on MPP’s work in cancer
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.