By Nathaniel DeLucia
As the fight against Ebola continues,
with some 9,216 reported cases worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO)
continues to look for new ways to combat the disease. The WHO has been using the anti-bodies from
Ebola survivors and traditional anti-virals to try and contain the disease. Additionally, the WHO is considering the
implementation of vaccines, which were quickly developed by pharmaceutical
companies. These vaccines, if they prove
to be as effective as initially suspected, could dramatically slow the spread
of Ebola. The problem is the cost. These vaccines are the intellectual property
of their respective companies, who often own several patents on them. The challenge for the WHO is to work with
international grant and licensing companies to try and acquire these vaccines
at a lower price.
For the complete story on the tension
between patent laws and the need for cheap medicine to fight Ebola, check out
IP-Watch’s article, here.
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