WIPO Re:Search: New Plan for Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases, Malaria and TB
Geneva,
May 23, 2017
PR/2017/807
WIPO Re:Search has launched a new five-year roadmap to guide its activities in the fight against neglected tropical diseases, malaria and tuberculosis.
The World Intellectual Property Organization and its partner BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) established the initiative in 2011 to boost the use of intellectual property in catalyzing innovation and product development for ailments affecting more than 1 billion people. WIPO Re:Search now includes 126 members in 35 countries and has established 112 collaborations across the globe.
The new plan, unveiled during WIPO Re:Search’s biennial meeting May 23, 2017, in Geneva, will guide the public-private consortium’s activities through 2021 and includes new research, capacity building and outreach efforts.
“Neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and tuberculosis are devastating conditions that disproportionately affect the poorest and most disadvantaged among us,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. “WIPO believes that IP is a powerful tool for stimulating innovation and WIPO Re:Search is our principal effort to ensure that IP supports advances in global health research,” he said.
WIPO Re:Search allows organizations to share their intellectual property, compounds, expertise, facilities and know-how royalty-free with qualified researchers worldwide.
The new strategic plan seeks to ensure that WIPO Re:Search harnesses new research and development trends in global health, while contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
As the implementing partner, BVGH will seek a more process-driven and targeted partnership-development approach to link research and development programs with gaps in research, taking into consideration the impact of the disease on people’s lives.
“BVGH will implement a more targeted approach to collaboration formation to address priority global health needs. We will prioritize and provide enhanced support to the most promising product development collaborations within the WIPO Re:Search portfolio. Other key objectives include supporting the development of research and IP management capacity at Member organizations in low- and middle-income countries, and increasing public visibility around the role of WIPO Re:Search in global health innovation,” stated Jennifer Dent, President of BVGH.
About WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the United Nations agency that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere.
We do so by providing services that enable creators, innovators and entrepreneurs to protect and promote their intellectual property (IP) across borders and acting as a forum for addressing cutting-edge IP issues. Our IP data and information guide decisionmakers the world over. And our impact-driven projects and technical assistance ensure IP benefits everyone, everywhere.
For more information, please contact the News and Media Division at WIPO:- Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 / 338 72 24