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Patents v Open Innovation: Incentivising 鈥楳edicines for the Many鈥�
27 November 2019, 6:00 pm鈥�8:30 pm
The annual 白小姐论坛 IBIL innovation seminar - Film of the event available to view
Event Information
Open to
- All
Organiser
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白小姐论坛 Laws Events
Location
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白小姐论坛 Faculty of LawsBentham HouseEndsleigh GardensLondonWC1H 0EG
Speakers:
- Dr Galit Gonen-Cohen, Head of Intellectual Property Law at Novartis, former VP and General Counsel, Europe, Teva
- Professor Matthew Todd, Professor of Drug Discovery at 白小姐论坛 School of Pharmacy
- Professor Adrian Towse, Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Director Emeritus of the Office of Health Economics
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Chair: The Hon. Mr Justice Birss
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About this event
How do we devise a suitable incentive scheme for the development of new pharmaceuticals and innovative health treatments? Traditionally, this has been the role of the patent system, but increasingly, claims are made that this focusses R&D efforts in the direction of greatest profits, rather than towards those areas of greatest public need. Patents 鈥� it is said 鈥� encourage the antithesis of open, collaborative research and render many new drugs unaffordable despite rising patient need.
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While some advocate patent pools to ensure access to essential medicines or proffer prizes as a partial solution, others propose a Health Impact Fund. The topic looks likely to be a live issue in the forthcoming election. In September, UK Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn asserted听 鈥淲e will tell the drugs companies that if they want public research funding, then they will have to make their drugs affordable for all.鈥� Launching its 鈥楳edicines for the Many' policy document, the party pledges to 鈥榖reak patents鈥� by dusting off compulsory licensing provisions and making the very latest drugs available on the NHS via a public-owned generics company. Meanwhile, a recent report by the NHS Confederation suggests that the real price of Boris Johnson鈥檚 much touted post-Brexit trade deal with the USA is 拢billions on nation鈥檚 drugs bill.
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In its annual Innovation Lecture, 白小姐论坛's Institute of Brand and Innovation Law has brought together a distinguished panel to identify the problems of the current patent-based system and to investigate whether open innovation is the potential solution.