Wipo Re Search Collaborating To Mobilize The Power Of Intellectual Property For Global Health

WIPO Re:Search aims to catalyze the development of medical products for neglected tropical diseases, malaria and tuberculosis through innovative research partnerships and knowledge sharing.

WIPO Re:Search is a global public-private consortium that accelerates drug, vaccine, and diagnostic research and development (R&D) to address unmet medical needs for neglected infectious diseases and drive progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Established in 2011, WIPO Re:Search catalyzes royalty-free sharing of intellectual property—including compounds, data, clinical samples, technology, and expertise—among Consortium Members in targeted, mutually beneficial R&D collaborations. This publication contain stories of collaborations established through WIPO Re:Search from 2016 to 2019.

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

This study has emerged from an ongoing program of trilateral cooperation between WHO, WTO and WIPO. It responds to an increasing demand, particularly in developing countries, for strengthened capacity for informed policy-making in areas of intersection between health, trade and IP, focusing on access to and innovation of medicines and other medical technologies.

WIPO Re:Search Consortium unites public and private market forces to address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) through sharing of intellectual property across sectors and geographies. To date, WIPO Re:Search has catalyzed over 150 R&D collaborations and managed capacity-building fellowships for scientists across sub-Saharan Africa and other low- and middle-income regions. This publication highlights seven exciting collaborations that are advancing solutions to help over one billion people who suffer from NTDs, malaria, and TB.

The consortium’s objective is to establish partnerships that facilitate sharing of IP assets to advance the discovery and development of new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for NTDs, malaria, and tuberculosis.

This study seeks to reinforce the understanding of the interplay between the distinct policy domains of health, trade and intellectual property, and of how they affect medical innovation and access to medical technologies. The second edition comprehensively reviews new developments in key areas since the initial launch of the study in 2013.

International cooperation on public health is inherently multi-dimensional, with a focus on building effective health systems. Towards this goal, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been working closely together, along with other international partners, for almost two decades to support global endeavours to improve health outcomes. As part of their efforts to help countries develop the capacity to deal with multi-dimensional challenges in the public health sector, the three organizations have launched the second edition of the trilateral study on Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation. Access to essential medicines and the lack of research to address neglected diseases have been a major concern for many years. To promote innovation and to ensure equitable access to all vital medical technologies, such as medicines, vaccines and medical devices, policy-makers need a clear understanding of the innovation processes that lead to new technologies and the ways in which these technologies are disseminated. This publication seeks to improve understanding of the interplay between the distinct policy domains of health, trade and intellectual property, and how they affect medical innovation and access to medical technologies. This second edition captures new developments in key areas since the launch of the first study in 2013. Among the new topics covered in this edition are antimicrobial resistance and cutting-edge health technologies. The publication provides updated data on health, innovation trends in the pharmaceutical sector, and trade and tariffs relating to medical products. It includes an updated overview of access to medical technologies globally and key provisions in regional trade agreements. It also takes account of developments in intellectual property legislation and jurisprudence. Since this study was completed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, a standalone section on COVID-19 was added at the start of the publication to map the multiple challenges posed by the pandemic in relation to the integrated health, trade and IP policy frameworks set out in the study. It guides the reader to the parts of the main text that are particularly relevant to the issues raised during the pandemic. The publication is the result of a collaborative effort by the WHO, WIPO and the WTO, drawing together the three secretariats' respective areas of expertise. It is intended to inform ongoing technical cooperation activities undertaken by the three organizations and to support policy discussions. Drawing on longstanding experiences in joint technical cooperation activities, the publication has been prepared to serve the needs of policy-makers as well as lawmakers, government officials, delegates to international organizations, non-governmental organizations and researchers.