From TRIPS to PPR: Addressing Intellectual Property Barriers on Lifesaving Medical Products

For nearly three decades, the tensions between intellectual property (IP) protections on medical products and the need for access to these products have remained unresolved. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has repeatedly witnessed how IP monopolies stand in the way of such timely and equitable access to lifesaving medical products.

This report outlines the existing body of international law and instruments dealing with IP and access to medical products, explains why these have not always proven adequate, and argues that the ongoing negotiations for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response at the World Health Organization are the appropriate platform for addressing access challenges.