The BMJ: Threat of compulsory licenses could increase access to essential medicines In this analysis, Gorik Ooms, professor of global health law and governance, and Johanna Hanefeld, associate professor of health policy and systems, both with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, “argue that low- and middle-income countries…

STAT: Where was differential pricing at the WHO Fair Pricing Forum? Ed Schoonveld, managing principal and leader of the value and access practice at ZS Associates “…The complexity of the economics of drug development and lack of transparency about drug prices and R&D investments is infuriating many stakeholders. That sentiment…

Project Syndicate: Will Free Trade Make Africans Sick? Walter Ochieng, doctor, health economist, and Aspen New Voices fellow “…The African Union views the [African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)] as an important step toward integrating the continent and promoting regional trade. Given the experience of other free-trade blocs, however, the…

Borgen Magazine: Health Care and Disease in Sri Lanka (Sherrington, 3/29). CNN: In world first, HIV-positive woman donates kidney to HIV-positive recipient (Scutti, 3/28). Devex: Could Nigeria’s HIV rate be just half what was thought? (Adepoju, 4/1). Devex: Q&A: Hewlett Foundation’s Ruth Levine on how donors can stop ‘undercutting chances…

CBS SF Bay Area: Gilead Cashes In On HIV Treatment Patented By Government (Borba, 3/27). Los Angeles Times: Taxpayers funded this HIV research. The government patented it. Now a company profits (Rowland, 3/28).

Washington Post: An HIV treatment cost taxpayers millions. The government patented it. But a pharma giant is making billions. “…[Researchers’] work — almost fully funded by U.S. taxpayers — created a new use for an older prescription drug called Truvada: preventing HIV infection. But the U.S. government, which patented the…

Thomson Reuters Foundation: Poor lose out as rich countries link aid with trade: think-tank “Rich countries are using their aid budgets to promote their own national interests rather than focusing on helping people in poor countries, according to research published by a global think-tank on Tuesday. As populism and economic…

BBC News: Tunisian health minister resigns over 11 baby deaths (3/10). CIDRAP News: New attack, case in high-risk village among latest Ebola perils (Schnirring, 3/11). CIDRAP News: Sewage study highlights global antimicrobial resistance disparity (Dall, 3/11). Dallas News: Ethiopians didn’t have a term for ‘stroke,’ so this Dallas doctor created…

Intellectual Property Watch: Inside Views: Will U.S. Drug Pricing Politics Change Intimidation Practices Globally? Fifa Rahman, board member for NGOs at Unitaid “The global health world, particularly as concerns skyrocketing drug prices and patent abuse, is in a unique space in time. … The Trump administration has sent delegations to…

Brookings Institution’s “Future Development”: Is trade with India changing Africa’s health care landscape? Siddharth Dixit, associate in research at the Duke Center for International Development (DCIC), and colleagues discuss the impact of India-Africa trade on the health care landscape in Africa, including HIV treatment and prevalence. The authors write, “India…