Voluntary Licensing as a Mechanism to Improve Access to Medicine
Urgently needed is high volume production of quality medicines at low cost to achieve global distribution for addressing medical emergencies. A proven yet under-recognized mechanism is for patent-holding innovators to volunteer manufacturing licenses and technologies to qualified generic manufacturers, so high volume of medicine with approved qualities can be made accessible to lower-income countries who are limited in their ability to pay. To create a forum for presenting the problem and discussing solutions, a task force was led by Harvard law professors, and supported by Stanford business school professor, former executives from Gilead global access program, and legal advisor with expertise in international law and pharma industry. Three discussion forums were held with stakeholders from international health organizations, patient advocacy groups, academicians as well as industry representatives. A final report was published containing recommendations that could serve as tools for governments and industry to build policies to accelerate access to medicines in response to global health emergencies.
Website: Global Access in Action
Report: Voluntary Licensing and Access to Medicines
Access to Medicines in Southeast Asia
The medicine global access program pioneered by Gilead Sciences, under the lead of John C. Martin, has served low-income countries worldwide resulting in tens of millions of lives saved over the past 2 decades. Two sentinel elements, voluntary licensing and technology transfer, cemented the viability of the approach. Nevertheless, this mechanism of making accessible quality drugs at low cost globally has not been widely used and the Gilead model remains a singularity rather than an industry standard. Health Innovation and Investment Exchange (HIEx), a non-profit organization spin-off from UNAIDS, initiated efforts to improve awareness of the voluntary licensing concept among Southeast Asian country leaders, and to identify barriers/solutions so the countries may make plans to move towards improving drug access.
Website: Health Innovation Exchange
Delivery Assurance to Improved Proper Use of Antibiotics
Antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) due to inappropriate use of antibiotics has intensified to become a potential threat to global health security. There is a disproportionately high burden of AMR in low-resource settings mainly driven by the lack of access to proper drugs, diagnostics, and knowledge to use them. Aranda.org aims to address AMR by applying the concept of delivery assurance. A model program is ongoing in Botswana through a tool kit of current diagnostics and antibiotics, in concert with stewardship training programs to ensure proper use and surveillance practices to track outcome and supplies. The model will be expanded to Namibia.
Website: Aranda — Solving the Global Crisis in Antimicrobial Resistance