Medical and Health Research Network - Events - How WTO TRIPS Impacts Access to Essential Medicines: A Focus on China

Does the WTO’s Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement encourage overly strong patent protection for essential medicines in poor countries generally, and China specifically? That is the central question of this conference.

The development of modern medicines has led to significant improvements in global health and patent protection for medicines is an integral part of today’s drug development process. The WTO’s TRIPS agreement has effectively expanded the patent rights system internationally by obligating all of its member states to provide minimum intellectual property rights protection for medicines. Unfortunately, in many developing countries, this patent system has resulted in access to essential medicines becoming unaffordable and in few incentives for drug development responsive to diseases of the poor.

Pharmaceutical companies who hold these drug patents argue that they are part of the public health solution not the problem. Not only do pharmaceutical companies typically offer deep discounts to developing countries, but intellectual property rights protection is a vital incentive to justify the massive investments necessary to develop these life savings drugs. Moreover, they argue that the industry and the patent system have been unfairly blamed for weak access to essential medicines in the developing world, which are typically attributable to a multitude of factors.

Few would disagree that essential medicines should be accessible and affordable to developing countries. The question that this conference will be exploring is whether the WTO’s TRIPS agreements encourage overly strong patent protection on medicines in poor countries generally, and China specifically.

The link between legal and enforceable patent protection and effective drug development
The evidence of the detrimental effects of overly strong patent protection on medicines in poor countries generally, and China specifically.
Legal measures available to communities, such as compulsory licensing and parallel imports, to redress this problem.

Speakers & Topics:

Discussant
Dr John Bacon-Shone
Associate Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
Director, Social Sciences Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Executive Board Member, Medical and Health Research Network, The University of Hong Kong

WTO TRIPS & Access to Essential Drugs in Developing Countries
Ms Ellen ‘t Hoen
Director of Policy Advocacy, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, Médecins Sans Frontières

Case Study: Accessing HIV/AIDS Treatment in China
Ms Suerie Moon
China Campaigner, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, Médecins Sans Frontières

The Importance of WTO TRIPS to Intellectural Property Rights Protection inHong Kong and China
Mr Stephen Richard Selby
Director of Intellectual Property of HKSARG

Tentative Programme:

2:00 – 2:15 pm	Registration
2:15 – 2:25 pm	Welcome Remarks
2:25 – 2:45 pm	WTO TRIPS & Access to Essential Drugs in Developing Countries
2:45 – 3:05 pm	Case Study: Accessing HIV/AIDS Treatment in China
3:05 – 3:20 pm	Tea Break
3:20 – 3:40 pm	The Importance of WTO TRIPS to Intellectural Property Rights Protection inHong Kong and China
3:40 – 4:00 pm	Discussant Responds
4:00 – 4:40 pm	Open Discussion
4:40 – 4:45 pm	Concluding Remarks

*Media will be invited to cover the seminar.
*The seminar will be conducted in English and simultaneous interpretation is available in Cantonese. It is open to the public. Please call 2338 8277/ 2819 2841 for further enquiries.

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