Penn’s Innovations and the Global Poor

Facilitating Access to Medicines in Developing Countries

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines

22 Mar 2006

The access and research gaps

Ten million people die needlessly each year because they do not have access to existing medicines and vaccines

Countless others suffer from neglected tropical diseases for which there is little financial incentive for drug development

Quick, World Health Organization 2005

Why do the access and research gaps exist?

Universities are major contributors to drug development

A recent report found that 15 of the 21 drugs with the most therapeutic impact were derived from federally funded projects at academic centers

Overall, universities are responsible for over half of the basic science research in the U.S.

National Science Foundation 2004

Senate Joint Economic Committee 2000

Have other universities tried to address the access and research gaps?

Harvard/MGH dual-market license for HIV diagnostics

Yale, d4t, and access-minded licensing Emory and Gilead Access Program for the

HIV drug emtricitabine Berkeley ‘Socially Responsible Licensing

Initiative’ and Center for Neglected Diseases

Environment at Penn

UAEM at Penn

Approach: self-education collaboration open dialogue

UAEM Proposals I

Change in principles: adopting the statement that ‘improving global human welfare is the most important goal of university technology transfer’

Change in policies: Access-minded licensing provisions for

biomedical innovations Promote research on neglected diseases and

work with nontraditional partners that seek to develop medicines for those diseases

UAEM Proposals II

The Equitable Access License Includes access provisions for any out-licensed

biomedical innovation Works by engendering generic competition in

developing countries Neglected-disease policies

Facilitate researchers’ participation in public-private partnerships

Proactively monitor university innovations for neglected-disease applicability

Carve out a ‘research exemption’ for neglected diseases in licenses

Collective Action

National rumblings AAAS report on ‘Humanitarian Licensing’ AUTM commitment through the Technology

Managers for Global Health Leadership from a critical mass of elite research

universities required Opportunity for Penn to elevate its reputation as a

pioneer in global health

Summary

Given: lack of access to effective medicines is a significant global health problem

and Given: major research universities like Penn

are important contributors to the development of effective medicines

and Given: Penn has shown a commitment to

leadership in global engagement

Question for Discussion

How can Penn ensure access to its biomedical innovations for the global poor?