The access to drugs: conflicts between intellectual property and public health protection

Authors

  • Raúl Allard Soto Universidad de la Frontera

Abstract

Topics related to intellectual property rights and lack of competency are found among the major obstacles facing the access to drugs in the world, together with the delay and postponement in the generation of R&D about those diseases affecting disproportionately to the population of developing countries and least developed countries. In this study, the strengthening of pharmaceutical patents included in the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the current prevailing incentive towards new drugs, their consequences and current conflicts are analyzed. In these, generally, the developed countries interests are confronted –pressed by a powerful pharmaceutical industry- with the interests of developing countries and least developed countries.

Keywords:

Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, pharmaceutical patent, access to drugs, R&D