As country after country downshifts out of pandemic mode, the need for affordable COVID-19 therapies continues, especially in middle-income countries that are not included in current voluntary licensing arrangements. To meet that need, the WHO is calling on manufacturers of those drugs to extend the geographic scope of their licensing agreements to allow competition and price reductions.
As country after country downshifts out of pandemic mode, the need for affordable COVID-19 therapies continues, especially in middle-income countries that are not included in current voluntary licensing arrangements. To meet that need, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on manufacturers of those drugs to extend the geographic scope of their licensing agreements to allow competition and price reductions so the treatments can be used where they’re needed most.
During the first round of discussion at its two-day hearing on a World Trade Organization proposal to expand the intellectual property (IP) waiver from COVID-19 vaccines to diagnostics and therapies, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) got an earful from both sides of the debate.
During the first round of discussion at its two-day hearing on a World Trade Organization proposal to expand the intellectual property (IP) waiver from COVID-19 vaccines to diagnostics and therapies, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) got an earful from both sides of the debate.
Current prophylactic and therapeutic approaches for SARS-CoV-2 are effective, but the need for new approaches with broad activity makes virus-host interactions an essential piece to look at.
Any decision on whether to expand a five-year World Trade Organization (WTO) waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines to diagnostics and therapies likely will be delayed longer than proponents had hoped. WTO members originally were scheduled to vote on expanding the waiver in December, but the deadline was extended indefinitely when key members, including the U.S., pushed for a delay.
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. has announced it plans to develop the TNX-3900 series of oral antivirals as monotherapy or in combination with other antivirals, following an agreement whereby it has acquired all of the assets of Healion Bio Inc., including its entire portfolio of next-generation antiviral technology assets.
