AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) supports the European Commission’s proposal to allow the European Union to issue compulsory licenses on patented medical products during public health emergencies as part of a larger overhaul of intellectual property rights across the economic block.
“We applaud the EU for taking action before another health emergency strikes. Getting bogged down in patent disputes during a pandemic leads to lives lost—that’s completely unacceptable regardless of how much big pharma objects,” said AHF Europe Bureau Chief Zoya Shabarova. “However, EU actions should not be limited to compulsory licensing. IP rights waivers should become an integral part of a health crisis management toolbox embedded in pharmaceutical legislation, TRIPS revisions, and the upcoming Pandemic Accord.”
