Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has today launched an opposition database intended to enable activists to share information and experiences about opposing patents using a single central portal.
The database comes as many developing countries face dramatically high drug prices because of blocking of lower cost generic drugs due to patents. Database is intended to help civil society to mount patent oppositions.
Currently database contains a searchable listing of 45 patent oppositions related to essential medicines and more than 200 other supporting documents that will aid in the building of a future patent opposition. Database calls for contribution of details of any patent opposition, application, office decision, prior art etch related to essential medicines.
Database according to MSF is a took which can be used to explore how to challenge unfair patents and their negative impacts on access to medicines.
The database was launched on the tenth anniversary of a landmark decision by the Central Intellectual Property Court in Thailand to overturn a patent on a key HIV drug based on an opposition filed by patient groups. It is part of MSF's Nobel prize winning Access to Medicine campaign.
Database can be accessed at http://patentoppositions.org
No comments:
Post a Comment