Sunday, November 08, 2020

IPR and Innovation 48, More medicine access via lower taxes and bureaucracies

Last Wednesday Nov. 4, a global coalition of independent think tanks and institutes released a position paper calling on governments to take steps to accelerate access to Covid-19 medicines. 


Six think tanks from the ASEAN signed this paper, two from Indonesia (Center for Indonesian Policy Studies/CIPS and Paramadina Public Policy Inst.), two from Malaysia (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs/IDEAS, Galen Center) and one each from Singapore (Adam Smith Center) and Philippines (Minimal Government Thinkers).

The study was initiated by the Geneva Network which is our friend for many years now. The study identified two important policy measures.

1. Reduce unnecessary medicine costs by: 

* Reducing taxes
* Abolishing tariffs
* Eradicating other trade barriers. 

2. Accelerate access to medicines by:

* Simplifying the drug approval process
* Modernising government medicine reimbursement decision-making
* Promoting genuine free trade in medicines
* Supporting the innovation system,

The paper can be downloaded at https://geneva-network.com/research/overcoming-obstacles-to-medicines-access/
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See also:
IPR and Innovation 45, PH IPR courts, BOI-IPO, GII 2019, August 6, 2019 
IPR and Innovation 46, IP rules and Covid-19, April 17, 2020 
IPR and Innovation 47, Our Joint Declaration on WHA, May 18, May 21, 2020.

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