Recently there has been increased attention to the issue of transparency in the pharmaceuticals sector at national and global levels. Transparency was also a central theme of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines report . Transparency is proposed in several fields related to innovation and access to medicines:
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Transparency on actual prices paid for medicines could address the asymmetric negotiating power between sellers and buyers of medicines (e.g. governments or other payers). However, concerns have been raised that price disclosure could increase prices in those countries that currently pay less than their peers.
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Access to accurate data on the costs to research, develop and manufacture medicines, as well as information on public and private contributions to R&D could contribute to fairness of medicines prices and assessing the efficiency of R&D processes overall. However, it remains a subject of debate how cost estimates should be calculated and how such data could best be used in relevant policymaking.
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Complete, timely and accurate sharing of clinical trial results is critical for the ethical practice of medicine, regulatory decisions, and scientific progress, and particularly crucial during health emergencies. Although WHO has called for registration and publication of all interventional clinical trials and their results within a reasonable timeframe, some clinical trial results are still not publicly available. What additional measures are needed to improve transparency in this area?
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Greater transparency on patent status could reduce legal uncertainty with respect to where generic versions of medicines may be legally marketed, how patent standards are being applied, and the functioning of the patent system overall. What has been achieved and where do challenges remain in increasing patent transparency?
This event will bring together governments, industry, civil society and others to explore the potential of increasing transparency in the pharmaceutical sector and discuss the challenges and risks involved in the process.
Join us in this panel discussion. You are kindly requested to register your attendance, free of charge.
This event is organised with the collaboration of FIND
Event materials
Background information
The United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Access to Medecines: Report: Promoting Innovation and Access to Health Technologies, 14 September 2016
Suerie Moon: Powerful Ideas for Global Access to Medicines, N Engl J Med 2017; 376:505-507.
Kayvon Modjarrad, Vasee S. Moorthy, Piers Millett, Pierre-Stéphane Gsell, Cathy Roth, Marie-Paule Kieny: Developing Global Norms for Sharing Data and Results during Public Health EmergenciesPLoS Med 13(1): e1001935.
Vasee S. Moorthy, Ghassan Karam, Kristen S. Vannice, Marie-Paule Kieny: Rationale for WHO’s New Position Calling for Prompt Reporting and Public Disclosure of Interventional Clinical Trial ResultsPLoS Med 12(4): e1001819.