Affordability versus innovation: Is compulsory licensing the solution?

Affordability versus innovation: Is compulsory licensing the solution? Int J Risk Saf Med. 2019 Oct 21;: Authors: Pandey E, Paul SB Abstract  In an era which marks an exceptional phase of growth in science and technology, the acute disparities in access to healthcare still persist. So where on one hand scientific advancement in medicine aims at increasing life expectancy, on the other hand there are millions who are denied access to existing medicines. Patents on medicines also pose a significant barrier to access new drugs, especially in low and middle income countries which already suffer from poor health financing mechanisms. The patent laws were built on the assumption of incentivizing the innovators by rewarding them with the exclusive right to produce, sell or market the innovation. The basic premise for granting patents was based on the thought that it would increase investment in research and development promoting dynamic gains through newer innovations. However, evidence found to support this justification is meager. So in a situation where the drug gap still persists and we aim to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030, this paper attempts to focus on understanding how compulsory licensing has been used in selected cases to alleviate the major legal and political barriers to access medicines. The methodology comprises of cross-country comparison of patent framework and compulsory licensing cases. The sample selected...
Source: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Int J Risk Saf Med Source Type: research