HIV drug patents in the spotlight.

摘要

Access to HIV medicines has been highlighted recently, with advocates applauding decisions by India and Brazil to reject the patenting of key antiretroviral drugs. Although companies are increasingly instituting their own initiatives to increase access, calls for the pharmaceutical industry to join the UNITAID patent pool have grown louder. On Sept 30, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) launched a campaign calling on companies to join the UNITAID patent pool and asking the public to make the same call. As the December goal for the UNITAID implementation plan grows nearer, all parties are debating the role of patents in access to HIV drugs and the advantages and challenges presented by a patent pool.