PHA-Exchange> WHO launches intellectual property commission

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WHO launches intellectual property commission

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced details of
a new commission that aims to analyse how intellectual
property rights affect the creation of new drugs against
'diseases of poverty' in the developing world.

The Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation
and Public Health (CIPIH) will be led by Ruth Dreifuss,
former President of Switzerland. The vice-chair will be R.A.
Mashelkar, director-general of India's Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research.

Leading economists, lawyers, medics, industry
representatives and scientists from across the globe make up
the remainder of the 10-person committee (for full list,
click here).

The pharmaceutical industry has welcomed the announcement. A
statement from the International Federation of
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, which represents
more than 60 national industry organisations, says that the
Commission is "soundly positioned to delve into issues of
intellectual property, its interfaces and linkages with
pharmaceutical innovation and public health".

The Commission, which has been set up at the request of last
year's World Health Assembly, will review existing research,
development and innovation efforts directed at diseases that
affect the poor. It will then consider how effectively
intellectual property regimes and other incentive and
funding mechanisms are stimulating research into new
medicines against these diseases.

Governments, UN bodies, other international agencies and
private sector and civil-society organisations will be
consulted in drawing up the report, which will be presented
to the WHO Executive Board in January 2005.

Link to terms of reference of the Commission
http://www.who.int/gb/EB_WHA/PDF/EB113/eeb113id1.pdf