Controversies surrounding pharmaceutical patents and trade rules in the WTO

Pharmaceutical patents, drug prices, and parallel imports of drugs from lower-income to higher-income nations have been at the center of some of the most contentious debates in the run-up to Cancun. This panel will analyze the positions of the various protagonists (the United States, developing countries, drug companies, and NGOs) and the proposals for resolving the conflict.

Development of breakthrough drugs to treat HIV, TB, malaria, and other illnesses prevalent in poor nations

The impassioned debate over pricing, patents, and access to existing treatments has obscured attention to the need for vaccines and more effective drugs for HIV, TB, malaria, and other illnesses that disproportionately affect the poorest nations. This panel will address the link between economic incentives and new drug research.