Patients’ Manifesto launched in European Parliament

The European Patient Forum (EPF) launched a patients’ manifesto (or bill or rights) in the European Parliament yesterday.  The following press release from the EPF outlines their call to action for the empowerment and protection of patients across Europe:
(Sept. 16, 2008)  The European Patients’ Forum launched today a Patients Manifesto in the European Parliament outlining vital [...]

What was the final outcome of the IGWG anyway?

After all the talk, all the negotiations late into the night, all the lobbying and the mud slinging, what actually happened to the IGWG at the end of the 61st World Health Assembly – and what does it mean for patients around the world? 
According to the WHO web site, the “Global Strategy on public health, [...]

New Government in Thailand Supports the Role of Medical Innovation in Improving Patient Outcomes

A recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal Asia (Good Medicine for Thailand) commends recent efforts on behalf of the Thai government to improve support for drug research and development and highlights the importance of medical innovation in improving health care delivery and patient outcomes.
It appears the new government in Thailand is starting to recognize [...]

Report on the IGWG

The World Health Organization recently posted a news release stating that:
the <World> Health Assembly produced a public health breakthrough by providing a platform for removing barriers and using innovative methods to encourage research, development and access to medicines for the common diseases of the developing world.
The public health, innovation and intellectual property strategy endorsed by [...]

Resolution on counterfeit medicine

On May 20th a draft resolution on counterfeit medical products was submitted to the World Health Assembly by the nations of Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.  As the WHA turns to the challenges surrounding counterfeit pharmaceuticals, it is valuable to reflect on the threat counterfeit drugs pose.  In particular, it is [...]

Patients Matter and So Does Our Voice

In a previous posting on the evils of Big Pharma, Robert Weissman suggests, “a successful conclusion to ongoing negotiations at the World Health Organization (WHO) — could yield dramatic public health benefits in the years and decades ahead.” This seems unlikely as the most important stakeholders – patients – have been left out of the [...]