17 December 2016
In the context of its mandate expansion into tuberculosis, the Medicines Patent Pool was asked by its funder, UNITAID, to conduct a study to examine how MPP licences could contribute to addressing some of the stewardship challenges for new drugs for tuberculosis, specifically for multi-resistant TB. The report seeks to inform the Foundation’s approach to negotiating licences and sub-licences for the manufacturing of TB compounds. It acknowledges the twin public health goals of ensuring broad availability of new therapies while promoting their proper use to counter further resistance.
The MPP team conducted extensive deskside research as well as interviews with leading TB experts, private sector leaders, civil society and community-based organisations, intergovernmental organisations, product developers and academics on a range of stewardship issues. The final report identifies ways in which MPP could address these issues through public health licensing and outlines potential terms and conditions that might be appropriate for TB licences. The study also summarises stewardship challenges that are beyond MPP’s purview and best left to other public health actors. Please find a link to the final submitted report. We welcome all stakeholders’ views and comments.
The Medicines Patent Pool TB Stewardship Report
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.