Patents and the Trans-Pacific Partnership: how TPP-style intellectual property standards may exacerbate the access to medicines problems in the East African community.

Owoeye, Olasupo; Olatunji, Olugbenga; Faturoti, Bukola

Abstract

Least developed countries (LDCs) generally enjoy some exemptions under the WTO TRIPS Agreement. Despite these exemptions, patents continue to pose a major challenge to access to affordable medicines in the East African Community (EAC), especially with respect to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The EAC is a regional economic bloc made up of 6 states, with 5 of the member states currently ranked as LDCs by the United Nations. This article argues that the implementation of the patent protection standards following the model adopted in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is likely to further exacerbate the access to medicines conundrum of the EAC.

Citation

OWOEYE, O., OLATUNJI, O. and FATUROTI, B. 2019. Patents and the Trans-Pacific Partnership: how TPP-style intellectual property standards may exacerbate the access to medicines problems in the East African community. International trade journal [online], 33(2), pages 197-218. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/08853908.2017.1386143

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 27, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 31, 2017
• Publication Date: Apr 30, 2019
• Deposit Date: Oct 9, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: May 1, 2019
• Journal: International trade journal
• Print ISSN: 0885-3908
• Electronic ISSN: 1521-0545
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 197-218
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08853908.2017.1386143
• Keywords: International trade; Intellectual property; Pharmaceutical patents; Access to medicines
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2539