Make It Happen Campaign Update 8
There’s very encouraging progress on the setting up of the Medicines Patent Pool following last week’s meeting of the UNITAID Finance and Administration Board. Finally, the budget for the Medicines Patent Pool Foundation has been approved and now plans are back on track for a July launch.
This positive step is a relief after what appeared to be an initial hold-up following the Executive Board Special Session back on 5 February.
The Foundation is expected to be open for business by July and negotiations with patent holders to licence their patents to the pool can then finally begin. It is at this point that we will see whether the eight pharmaceutical companies that MSF called upon in its Make it Happen Campaign in 2009 will enter into formal discussions with the agency and license their patents to the Pool.
MSF will continue to monitor the progress of the Pool and keep you closely updated on further developments.
Only one in three people living with HIV has access to life-saving antiretroviral medicines, and a major barrier is the lack of low-cost, effective drugs adapted to the environments where we work. The Patent Pool could change that and deliver life-saving medicines to millions in need.