Boom Week Just Hit, Hunters Have Become The Hunted, Pain – Episode 2178

China Wants to Patent Gilead’s Experimental Coronavirus Drug

Chinese researchers have applied for a national patent on an experimental Gilead Sciences Inc. drug that they believe might fight the novel coronavirus.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology — based in the Chinese city at the center of the epidemic — has applied for a patent in China for the use of the antiviral drug, known as remdesivir, in treating the ailment. The application was made on Jan. 21 together with a military academy, according to a Feb. 4 statement on the institute’s website.

Large areas of China have been paralyzed by the coronavirus, and the move signals a desire to speed development of one of the most promising potential treatments. Beijing has moved aggressively to contain the infection that has killed almost 500 people and sickened nearly 25,000. If the application succeeds, Gilead would need to get Chinese patent owners on board in sales of the drug for treating coronavirus infections outside China.

“The good thing in having a patent is that it would lead to cross-licensing situations that give China more bargaining chips in negotiating the licensing fee with Gilead,” said Wang Yanyu, a senior partner at AllBright Law Offices in Beijing.

https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2010/12/Global-Health-Leaders-Launch-Decade-of-Vaccines-Collaboration

Global Health Leaders Launch Decade of Vaccines Collaboration | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Global Vaccine Action Plan to guide discovery, development and delivery of lifesaving vaccines 

NEW YORK — The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a collaboration to increase coordination across the international vaccine community and create a Global Vaccine Action Plan.  This plan will build on the successes of current work to achieve key milestones in the discovery, development and delivery of lifesaving vaccines to the most vulnerable populations in the poorest countries over the next decade.

The collaboration follows the January 2010 call by Bill and Melinda Gates for the next ten years to be the Decade of Vaccines.  The Global Vaccine Action Plan will enable greater coordination across all stakeholder groups – national governments, multilateral organizations, civil society, the private sector and philanthropic organizations — and will identify critical policy, resource, and other gaps that must be addressed to realize the life-saving potential of vaccines. 

The structure of the Decade of Vaccines Collaboration includes a Leadership Council to provide oversight for the planning effort, a Steering Committee that holds the primary responsibility for developing the action plan, an International Advisory Committee to assist the Leadership Council in evaluating the action plan, and a Secretariat for administrative support. 

Prof. Pedro Alonso, Director for the Institute for Global Health of Barcelona and Dr. Christopher Elias, President and CEO of PATH, have been appointed co-chairs of the Steering Committee and the Secretariat. 

“Vaccines are miracles,” said Prof. Alonso, “For just a few dollars per child, vaccines prevent disease and disability for a lifetime. We must make sure that people understand that vaccines are one of the best investments in health.”                                                             

The Leadership Council is comprised of:

• Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO;
• Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health;
• Mr. Anthony Lake, Executive Director for UNICEF; 
• Ms. Joy Phumaphi, Chair of the International Advisory Committee and Executive Secretary, African Leaders Malaria Alliance
• Dr. Tachi Yamada, President of Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation;

The Steering Committee includes globally recognized experts in vaccine delivery, advocacy, research and development, and access:

• Dr. Nicole Bates, Senior Program Officer, Global Health Policy and Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Dr. Seth Berkley, President & CEO, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
• Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Chair, Division of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University  
• Dr. Lola Dare, CEO, Center for Health Sciences Training, Research and Development International
• Ms. Helen Evans, Acting CEO, GAVI Alliance
• Dr. Lee Hall, Chief, Parasitology and International Programs Branch, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID
• Dr. T. Jacob John, Professor and Head, Departments of Clinical Microbiology and Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India (Retired)
• Dr. Orin Levine, Executive Director, International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC)
• Dr. Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Director, WHO Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals
• Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President, Sabin Vaccine Institute
• Dr. David Salisbury, Director of Immunization, UK Department of Health
• Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC
• Dr. Peter A. Singer, Director, McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, University of Toronto
• Dr. Lucky Slamet, Deputy for Therapeutic Products, Narcotic, Psychotropic and Addictive Substance Control, National Agency of Drug and Food Control, Indonesia
• Dr. Gina Tambini, Area Manager, Family and Community Health, PAHO
• Dr. Jos Vandelaer, Chief, Immunization, Programme Division, UNICEF
• Ms. Sandy Wrobel, CEO and Managing Director, Applied Strategies

The Decade of Vaccines Collaboration expects to complete its work by mid-2012.  At that time, all vaccine stakeholder groups will be responsible for implementing the action plan. 

“We look forward to working with the global vaccine community to extend the benefits made possible by existing vaccines and new vaccines in development,” said Dr. Elias, “Together we can ensure that all children have a shot at a healthy life.”

https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/about/scientific-board
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