MAPGuideⓇ Commentaries
Commentaries
Our Commentaries provide discussions of key issues and considerations related to the development and implementation of equitable access policies and provisions.
Pandemic Agreement
We are reviewing new drafts of the WHO Pandemic Agreement as they are released. Our comments and recommendations are focused on the equitable access conditions that should be attached to the use of public funds for the development, manufacturing and procurement of pandemic-related products.
Public Investment in the Development of Vaccines: Providing Equitable Access around the World
Letter published in the BMJ in response to a paper on US public investment in COVID-19 vaccines.
The Global COVID-19 Contract Conundrum
While wealthier countries have vaccinated large portions of their populations and many have even started “booster” programs, low-income countries still don’t have enough doses to vaccinate their populations. As global attention focuses on addressing vaccine inequities, often overlooked is the fundamental role of the language in contracts in facilitating—or sometimes limiting—access to vaccines.
Article published in Think Global Health.
NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy
The NIH has announced a new Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy that seeks to widen access to health technologies emerging from NIH-owned patents.The policy, which applies to wholly US government-owned patents related to the development of drugs, biologics (including vaccines), or devices, will require organizations applying for commercial patent licenses to submit an Access Plan to the NIH “outlining steps they intend to take to promote patient access to those licensed products.”
Creating Successful Stewardship and Access Plans
Stewardship and access plans can play an important role in achieving equitable access to medical product innovations. Global health funders often include requirements for such plans in their access policies and/or through contractual obligations in product development agreements. However, it can be difficult to understand the key building blocks of an effective stewardship and access plan.
Liability and Indemnification Provisions in COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Agreements
The Impact of Agreement Provisions: a Real-World Example
This case study of partnerships behind the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine illustrates the types of provisions that can be included in agreements to faciliate equitable access to medical countermeasures. It also shows how access commitments can flow across the chain of funding, license, and procurement agreements needed to progress a product from early-stage development to commercialization.
Equitable Access Toolkit
GHIAA’s Equitable Access Toolkit provides practical guidance to support funders, innovators, developers, and manufacturers in translating access policy to enforceable provisions and actionable plans for medical products. Our analysis of best practice considerations for access-oriented agreements, illustrated through our Equitable Access Pyramid, provides insights into the range of existing and potential future approaches that organizations can apply to facilitate equitable access to the products that they fund, develop, or manufacture.