Item 11.9 : Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property

Speaker: Sébastien Morin

On item 11.9, as the report[1] on the “Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property“ to the Executive Board says, under Managing Intellectual Property, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) expanded its mandate to all patented essential medicines.We are currently exploring with a number of pharmaceutical companies the possibility of public-health licensing as an approach to enhancing access to their oncology, heart disease, diabetes and tuberculosis medicines.

In March, we further expanded our mandate to include COVID-19 technologies and here too are trying to persuade companies that voluntary licensing is a potentially important approach to ensure equitable access in LMICs, as outlined in the COVID-19 resolution adopted in May.

We, at MPP, would welcome Member States’ support in emphasising this point. Thank you.

Watch again here (Committee A tab, 12/11/2020 “Sixth meeting of Committee A” – intervention starts at 1:57:58)

[1] Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property. 23 December 2019 – Report by the Director-General

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  1. In 2016, WHO encouraged the Medicines Patent Pool to expand beyond its core remit of HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis and to promote public health-oriented voluntary licenses on all patented medicines on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. Following a feasibility study exploring an increased remit, the Medicines Patent Pool launched a new five-year strategy in May 2018 to expand its activities to cover all patented essential medicines, which requires engagement with many new stakeholders.