WHO is asked to create a voluntary intellectual property pool to develop Covid-19 products
Seeking to widen access to medical products for combating Covid-19, the Costa Rican government has asked the World Health Organization to create a voluntary pool to collect patent rights, regulatory test data and other information that could be shared for developing drugs, vaccines and diagnostics.
The move comes amid a worldwide race to fight the novel coronavirus, but also mounting concerns that some products may not be accessible for poorer populations. By establishing a voluntary mechanism under the auspices of the WHO, the Costa Rican government is hoping to create a pathway that will attract numerous governments, as well as industry, universities and non-profit organizations.
