Geneva – Following today’s Solidarity Call to Action and launch of the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), an initiative aimed at making treatments, vaccines, tests, and other health technologies to fight COVID-19 accessible to all, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) looks forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to contribute to efforts to address the current COVID-19 crisis.

“MPP’s work in HIV, hepatitis C and TB over the last 10 years has shown that the voluntary licensing and patent pooling model works in public health,” said Charles Gore, MPP’s executive director. “Our experience in negotiating and managing diverse and complex licences to support access to new treatments means we have a valuable know-how that we can apply and adapt as needed”.

One of the elements of today’s Solidarity Call to Action is the licensing of potential therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines to the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool. On 31^st March, MPP’s Board already temporarily expanded its mandate to COVID-19 health technologies where licensing could facilitate innovation and access.