In 2019, the WHO (World Health Organization) adopted a landmark resolution encouraging countries to improve transparency in pharmaceutical markets, including to release more information about medicines. The resolution sought to enhance publicly available information about the patent status of new medicines and where these medicines stand in the marketing approval process.
Instead of regularly notifying which drugs are approved and their patent status, government agencies hide much of this information. This makes it harder for everybody – patients, manufacturers, health care providers – to know which drugs will be available at the pharmacy. It also goes against the international trend of promoting more transparency in pharmaceutical markets.
The Consumer Choice Center believes that increased transparency of patent information and regulatory approval helps patients and consumers in a number of ways, some of them are:
- Every year national regulatory authorities approve dozens of new medicines, including both the newest patented medicines and lower-cost generic drugs. However, outdated and opaque approach to patenting and regulatory approval leaves patients and consumers in the dark.
- It can help bolster intellectual property protections that are essential to getting the newest, most effective medicines to market.
- Providing more clarity about patent status and regulatory approval can also help speed up the process of approving lower cost generic medicines.
WHY DO WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY IN PHARMA?
Patients want to know more about new coming medicines
Every year national regulatory authorities approve dozens of new medicines, including both the newest patented medicines and lower-cost generic drugs, but outdated and opaque approach to patenting and regulatory approval leaves patients and consumers in the dark. Consumers want more transparency regarding pharmaceuticals that are standing in marketing approval process.
The WHO encourages countries to improve transparency
The World Health Organization adopted a landmark resolution encouraging countries to improve transparency in pharmaceutical markets, including to release more information about medicines. The resolution sought to enhance publicly available information about the patent status of new medicines and where these medicines stand in the marketing approval process.
Policy-making: Transparency Regulatory Trend
Many advanced countries, including Canada and Singapore, have an open systems in which the government transparently and efficiently review the patent status of new medicines prior to marketing approval. This transparency makes markets work better, bringing down costs and prices. But more countries need to share and release critical information about the patent status and marketing approval of new medicines.
