2. The first IP grant
Medicines Patent Pool
Start: July 2010
End date current grant: December 2020
Approved budget (phase I & II): 56.5 million US$
Negotiate voluntary licenses for HIV medicines.
Expanded to HCV and TB in Nov. 2015
3. The first grant supporting the use of
TRIPS flexibilities
Lawyers Collective
Start: August 2013
End date: August 2017
Approved budget : 677,100 US$
Conduct (pre-grant) oppositions for patent applications for HIV, TB, HCV medicines in India.
4. TRIPS flexibilities: the second grant
International Treatment Preparedness Coalition
Start: November 2014
End date : April 2018
Approved budget : 6 million US$
• Conduct (pre-grant) oppositions for patent applications for HIV medicines in
Argentina, Brazil, Thailand and Ukraine.
• Demand creation and policy dialogues.
5. TRIPS flexibilities: other grants
Médecins Sans Frontières
Start: January 2015
End date : June 2018
Coalition Plus
Start: July 2015
End date : December 2018
6. TRIPS flexibilities: the next wave (?)
Call for proposals “Supporting access to medicines through innovative
use of TRIPS flexibilities”
Call closed on 17 August 2017.
Several proposals are proceeding to development of full projects. These will be
submitted to Unitaid EB for possible funding.
7. Why is Unitaid funding IP projects?
Identified challenges
• patents/IPR can result in or contribute to a lack of affordability;
• patents/IPR can block or hamper the development of appropriate formulations (e.g. FDCs,
paediatric formulations).
Solutions exist
• within the patent system
• they are effective
8. Why is Unitaid funding IP projects?
Mandate
Unitaid Constitution: “Where intellectual property barriers hamper competition and price
reductions, [Unitaid] will support the use by countries of compulsory licensing or other
flexibilities under the framework of the Doha declaration on the Trade-Related Aspects on
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement and Public Health, when applicable.”
