Transcript Info Session - UAEM - UC Berkeley | University students

INFO SESSION:
FACILITATING ACCESS TO MEDICINES IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
January 26 & 27, 2015
VIDEO COURTESY OF UAEM BERGEN
IMAGINATION TIME…
YOUR TEMPORARY DYSTOPIAN REALITY
• For the next several minutes you live in a different world!
• UC Berkeley has imposed a new strict policy.
• Failure to comply will get you kicked out immediately!
• So what does all of this mean?
LICENSING BASICS
•
University level research is usually publically funded in some fashion
•
Universities are known to sell licenses to companies wanting to further develop the
new technology
•
These licenses are frequently exclusive
•
Exclusive is bad
•
Current example: Sofosbuvir (Solvaldi)
UAEM BASICS
• We change the conversation around university licensing
• We started at Yale
• The public responsibility to the common good
• The student responsibility to advocate
WHAT EXACTLY IS ADVOCACY?
•
Another way to put it is ‘organizing for social change’
•
Why does UAEM use this approach?
•
Why is it important?
YOU’VE HEARD OF TEACH A MAN TO FISH…
• It’s a cliché, but it works for this explanation
• Also it’s not even an accurate paradigm and I’m about to show you why
BUT WHAT IF THERE IS NO ACCESS TO THE POND?
DRIVING THE POINT HOME
•
Charity has an effect, but its long-term solutions are limited
•
Development and teaching can be effective, but is also very limited
•
Advocacy can remove artificial barriers and expand access to 1,000s in one
stroke
THE ACCESS AND RESEARCH GAPS
Ten million people die needlessly each year because
they do not have access to existing medicines and
vaccines
Countless others suffer from
neglected tropical diseases for which
there is little financial incentive for
drug development
Quick, World Health Organization 2005
WHY DO THE ACCESS AND RESEARCH GAPS
EXIST?
UNIVERSITIES ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO
DRUG DEVELOPMENT
A recent report found that 15 of the 21 drugs with the most therapeutic
impact were derived from federally funded projects at academic
centers
Overall, universities are responsible for over half of the basic science
research in the U.S.
Senate Joint Economic Committee 2000
National Science Foundation 2004
WHAT IS UAEM?
An international initiative that links members of
universities around the world who are concerned
that the research, patenting, and licensing policies
of academic institutions are restricting access to
medicines in poor countries.
WHO WE ARE
University students that work to increase the
availability of medicines to the developing world
through policy change at the UC Berkeley and in
United States.
UAEM STRUCTURE
• 3 committees: Communications, Awareness, and Research
• Board members led
COMMUNICATIONS
Objective: Advocate for access to medicine
Spring 2015 Projects
• Sovaldi Media Campaign Video
• Access to Medicines Blog
AWARENESS
Objective: Create community wide awareness about neglected diseases
Spring 2015 Projects
• World TB Day 3/24
• Documentary viewing
• World Health Day 4/7
• Health Fair
• World Malaria Day 4/25
• Talk
RESEARCH
Objective: Promote university-wide socially responsible licensing strategies
Spring 2015 Projects
• IP Survey
• Pipeline
APPLY TODAY!
http://tinyurl.com/UAEMCOMAPP-15
GOING FORWARD
• Work with the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) to get an updated
account of our university’s licensing practices of medical discoveries since
2006.
•Attend meetings with deans, technology transfer officials, and researchers.
• Collaborate with other northern California UAEM chapters (UCSF, UC Davis,
and Stanford) to host the annual UAEM Northern California Regional
Conference.
• Hold workshops and info sessions regarding medical access and advocacy.
NEXT TIME
• Tentative topic: Introduction to Intellectual Property
• Time, date and location to be determined.
QUESTIONS?