title: Academic patents and access to medicines in developing countries.
abstract: There is a widespread and growing concern that patents hinder access to life-saving drugs in developing countries. Recent student movements and legislative initiatives emphasize the potential role that research universities in developed countries could have in ameliorating this "access gap." These efforts are based on the assumption that universities own patents on a substantial number of drugs and that patents on these drugs are currently filed in developing countries. I provide empirical evidence regarding these issues and explore the feasibility and desirability of proposals to change university patenting and licensing practices to promote access to medicines in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, the International Center for Health Outcomes and Innovation Research, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, 600 West 168th St, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. bns3@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Bhaven N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Sampat
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics*; D016527:Drug Costs; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D018973:Intellectual Property; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D010330:Patents as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000191:economics*; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations