Title: Facilitating Global Access to COVID-19 Technologies: The Role of C-TAP
Introduction:
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for collaboration and global cooperation in the development and dissemination of essential health technologies. The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), a multi-stakeholder partnership initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Costa Rica, is working towards facilitating the sharing of intellectual property (IP), knowledge, and innovations to accelerate technological innovation and expand global manufacturing capacity. C-TAP recently announced three new license agreements purchased through the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), which aim to transfer vital know-how, materials, and clinical data across different countries. In this article, we will explore the significance of these license agreements and the impact of C-TAP in fostering equitable access to COVID-19 technologies worldwide.
Expanding Access through License Agreements:
1. Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp License:
– Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp, the first private manufacturer, has offered its patent and knowledge for a COVID-19 vaccine.
– More than three million doses of the vaccine have already been administered in seven countries.
– This marks the first time a vaccine manufacturer has used the WHO C-TAP model, presenting a win-win opportunity for the manufacturer, technology recipients, and patients globally.
– The agreement will facilitate the transfer of technology, training of personnel, and grant intellectual property licenses, ensuring broad access to the vaccine.
2. Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) License:
– CSIC shares a license for a prototype COVID-19 vaccine, which includes plant visits, training, and ongoing consultation with recipient manufacturers.
– The agreement aims to support recipient manufacturers in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and efficient manufacturing processes.
– This collaboration between CSIC and C-TAP enhances the global effort to develop effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines.
3. University of Chile License:
– The University of Chile shares its technology for a COVID-19 assay that quantifies neutralizing antibodies.
– This license is expected to contribute to the global effort in accurately measuring the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and natural immunity.
– By sharing this technology, C-TAP ensures that countries lacking the necessary resources or expertise can access testing capabilities.
The Importance of C-TAP:
1. Encouraging Voluntary Sharing of Intellectual Property:
– C-TAP was launched in May 2020 as a platform for COVID-19 technology developers to voluntarily share their IP, knowledge, and data.
– By promoting cooperation rather than competition, C-TAP aims to accelerate technological innovation and expand global manufacturing capacity.
– The recent license agreements demonstrate the commitment of organizations to open science and cooperative strategies, encouraging others to follow suit.
2. Sustainable Access to Affordable Medicines and Health Technologies:
– C-TAP plays a crucial role in facilitating sustainable access to quality-assured, safe, effective, and affordable medicines and health technologies.
– It aligns with the “local production resolution” and acts as an important tool to address global health challenges in an equitable manner.
– The license agreements under C-TAP ensure that technologies are available to low-income countries and helps bridge the access gap.
3. A Transparent and Coordinated Approach:
– C-TAP operates on the principles of transparency and coordination, ensuring that technology assessments are provided to both donors and recipients.
– The Technology Access Group database, a searchable repository, promotes transparency in sharing clinical, regulatory, patent, and manufacturer data.
– WHO is developing an Evolved Technology Access Group model to further enhance the process of technology sharing and access.
Conclusion:
C-TAP, through its multi-stakeholder partnership, is making significant strides in facilitating global access to vital COVID-19 technologies. The recent license agreements purchased through MPP not only demonstrate the commitment of organizations to open science and cooperation but also contribute to equitable access to vaccines, diagnostic assays, and other essential technologies. By encouraging voluntary sharing of intellectual property, promoting transparency, and fostering coordination, C-TAP is playing a crucial role in ensuring that the tools to prevent, test, and treat COVID-19 are accessible to everyone, everywhere. The collective efforts of C-TAP and its partners are essential in addressing the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and future health crises, setting a precedent for global health cooperation and solidarity.
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The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), a multi-stakeholder partnership to facilitate the sharing of intellectual property (IP), knowledge and innovations, has announced three new license agreements purchased through the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). ). The agreements include the following licenses to transfer necessary know-how, materials and clinical data in different countries:
- Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp, the first private manufacturer, offers its patent and knowledge for a COVID-19 vaccine of which more than three million doses have been administered in seven countries. It is the first time that a vaccine manufacturer has used the WHO C-TAP model: a win-win opportunity for the manufacturer, the recipients of the technology and, most importantly, patients in need around the world. The agreement will allow the granting of intellectual property licences, which will facilitate the transfer of technology and the training of personnel.
- The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) shares a second license for a prototype COVID-19 vaccine. The agreement includes plant visits and training, direct assistance and ongoing consultation with recipient manufacturers, including on quality and regulatory issues.
- The University of Chile shares its technology for a COVID-19 assay for the quantification of neutralizing antibodies.
C-TAP was launched in May 2020 by the WHO and the Government of Costa Rica with the support of 44 Member States, the United Nations Development Programme, Unitaid, UNAIDS and implementing partners such as MPP. It works on the principles of Solidarity call to action and was designed to serve as a platform for developers of COVID-19 therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines and other healthcare products to voluntarily share their intellectual property, knowledge and data to accelerate technological innovation and expand global manufacturing capacity.
C-TAP was recognized as an important tool in 2021” local production resolution”to facilitate sustainable access to quality-assured, safe, effective and affordable medicines and other health technologies. In addition, it has played an important role in raising awareness of the role of technology and knowledge sharing and access-oriented voluntary licensing.
“COVID-19 is here to stay, and the world will continue to need tools to prevent, test and treat it,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Through C-TAP, WHO and our partners are committed to making those tools accessible to everyone, everywhere. I appreciate the leadership shown by those licensees who have contributed technology.”
Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool, said: “Access to essential medicines and health technologies must remain a top priority on the global health agenda. We congratulate Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp, CSIC and Universidad de Chile for licensing their products to MPP and hope it sends an important message to other developers around the world to enter into more license agreements under the auspices of C- TAP”.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, only two public health R&D institutes: Spain’s National Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) decided to share their key technologies of COVID-19 with C-TAP.
The addition of the three new licenses now provides a significant boost to the overall effort. The new licenses are global, transparent and non-exclusive for all manufacturers and are accessible on the Internet. C-TAP website. It is important to note that the first license, for a serological test, resulted in a sub-license to Biotech Africa by the CSIC to develop its diagnostic technology.
C-TAP has also established a Technology Access Group database that provides a searchable repository. With a principle of transparency, this publicly available database will support coordination and link to other data sharing platforms where clinical, regulatory, patent and manufacturer data for selected technologies is available. WHO is preparing to share the results of the C-TAP review and a proposed model for an Evolved Technology Access Group. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to comment on a concept paper that includes the process and timelines for its implementation.
Citations from organizations signing new C-TAP licenses
- Charles Chen, CEO of Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp., stated: “We believe that the most effective response to a pandemic must be based on solidarity, cooperation and a collective global effort. By joining the C-TAP initiative, we provide equitable access to our vaccine technology. Underscores our commitment to ensuring that vaccines reach every corner of the world, leaving no one behind. This is not just about COVID-19, but about setting a precedent for future global health challenges. By demonstrating our commitment to open science and cooperative strategies, we hope to inspire other organizations to follow our example. To all those who trusted, participated, collaborated and supported us, thank you! Because without you, we could not make this C-TAP initiative possible. “.
- The Rector of the University of Chile, Professor Dra. Rosa Devés Alessandri, said: “For the University of Chile, the achievement of our scientists is a source of pride and a stimulus for the advancement of biomedical research in our country. It shows how excellent research carried out at an international level has the capacity to offer solutions with a high social impact in the field of health. We thank all the organizations that have made it possible for the University of Chile to contribute to global health.”
- Eloisa del Pino, president of the CSIC, stated that “this license agreement with C-TAP opens the possibility of finding partners in third countries to advance in clinical trials with this vaccine as a future alternative to the COVID vaccine options authorized throughout the world, especially in low-income countries. “
About C-TAP
C-TAP was launched in 2020 by the Director General of WHO and the President of Costa Rica, with the support of 44 Member States, to facilitate timely, equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 health products through transparent programs , oriented to public health and not exclusive and extensive license agreements.
WHO technical teams provide support by providing technology assessments to technology donors and recipients. This includes the recently launched WHO-Unitaid informative document support how to navigate the interfaces between public health and intellectual property.
AboutMPP
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-supported public health organization that works to increase access and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines in low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organizations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders to prioritize and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacturing. and the development of new formulations.
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