Publication

This policy brief presents key facts and recommendations for US policy on patents, drug access and innovation in developing countries. The authors argue that intellectual property (IP) rights, such as patents and copyrights, provide protection against unauthorized copying and are therefore fundamental to creating a policy environment conducive to innovation. This protection, however, creates challenges for developing countries by limiting access to needed products and by misaligning incentives for innovation. It calls on the next US president to come down clearly in favor of a new policy that better balances public health needs in developing countries with private incentives for innovative activities.