By Shiwei Ye
The high cost of medicines essential for the prevention, treatment and cure of many diseases makes them inaccessible to millions of patients who need them. The World Health Organization estimates this to include a third of the world’s population. In parts of Asia, the percentage may be even higher.
One of the key factors making medicines unaffordable is the current intellectual property right (IPR) regime and its prominent place in many free trade agreements. There is a dire need to reform the current international trade framework in order to provide correct and adequate incentives that can lead to need-based medical innovations and that can ensure that public health is prioritized over commercial interests.
