Why Partner With MPP
MPP would not have the same impact without our partners. It takes a range of stakeholders to make sure affordable quality medicines reach those who need them. MPP are ready to talk to you about our model and developing new collaborations to make sure no one is left behind.
Our partners include:
- Originator companies – medicine and health technology developers, and patent holders who want to place their licence with MPP. The terms of each licence are bespoke and take into account the specific characteristics of each product and the public health needs in LMICs.
- Generic manufacturers – those who take out a licence and develop a generic version of the product. MPP offers a range of services and technical advice, including support in the development, registration and supply of the medicines in LMICs.
- Biotech and new actors – as new products are developed, MPP works with partners on access strategies and explores partnering options.
- Global health stakeholders – we work with WHO and other international organisations, foundations, NGOs, civil society and patient groups. MPP partners with groups to understand public health priorities, identify access gaps and explore opportunities to increase access through MPP licences. We share the information we gather on patents and sales openly with the aim to promote transparency.
- Governments of countries with access to licensed products – we aim for low- and middle-income countries to have access to affordable versions of the essential medicines they need. MPP licences make it possible for many LMICs to affordably treat people with quality products.
Who We Work With
We work closely with international organisations and consortia. If you are interested in working with us, please contact us at policy@medicinespatentpool.org
Access to Medicine Foundation
In February 2023, we signed an MoU with Access to Medicine Foundation (ATMF) outlining a framework for cooperation in the field of public health including intellectual property management strategies. MPP will provide support to ATMF on issues relating to pharmaceutical patents including on the patent status of priority medicines and on voluntary licences. MPP will participate in relevant ATMF expert committees to support ATMF in refining its frameworks for assessing manufacturers. ATMF agrees to provide support to MPP’s Board to help MPP’s understanding of issues of access to medicines in LMICs and engagement with pharmaceutical companies to prove access to affordable and appropriate essential medicines in LMICs. MPP and ATMF agree to work and collaborate on any other future projects to promote access to medicines in LMICs.
Consortium to establish the first COVID mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), the World Health Organization (WHO), Afrigen, Biovac, SAMRC and Africa CDC have signed a letter of intent to address the global imbalance of manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccines. The consortium will work together to establish the South African mRNA technology transfer hub that will allow for greater and more diversified vaccines manufacturing capability, strengthen African regional health security, and respond more equitably to the current COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics.
Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations (GAP-f)
As part of its commitment to support international efforts to improve paediatric care, MPP is part of the GAP-f WHO Network together with WHO, CHAI, EGPAF and PENTA-ID. MPP contributes to efficient coordination with innovator and generic pharmaceutical companies, identifying and engaging generic manufacturers to develop, commercialise and sustainably supply low-cost and quality-assured paediatric formulations of GAP-f portfolio drugs. This work helps develop business cases, including market forecasts, to attract manufacturers of paediatric treatment and prevention, as well as monitor innovator and supplier progress against commitments using appropriate tools and metrics.
ARV Procurement Working Group 
Established as a result of an intervention proposed in the Global Fund’s May 2011 Market Shaping Strategy, the ARV Procurement Working Group (APWG) was set up in 2011 with the aim to “secure the paediatric ARV market” by adopting a coordinated approach to the procurement of low volume paediatric ARVs that evolved in 2016 to include ARVs with similar dynamics for adolescents and adults. MPP participates as an Observing member to monitor product uptake and forecast future demand.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
We support countries funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to access WHO-recommended treatments at affordable prices.
UNAIDS
We collaborate with UNAIDS on facilitating access to affordable HIV medicines in LMICs.
Unitaid
We work closely with our funder Unitaid to implement our grant agreement to accelerate access to HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in developing countries.
More information
World Health Organization
In 2017, we established with the World Health Organization the second three-year work plan as part of our official working relationship. The plan includes collaborating on a wide range of issues including:
- prioritising products for in-licensing
- quality assurance and patent transparency
- implementing the WHO treatment guidelines
- developing paediatric formulations (see GAP-f)
- preparing joint forecasts on the use of antiretroviral medicines in developing countries
World Intellectual Property Organization
We collaborate with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) around patent transparency on essential medicines. In particular, we have benefited significantly from WIPO’s help in collecting patent status information from national and regional patent offices for inclusion in MedsPaL.
- Access WIPO Re:Search
USAID OPTIMIZE Consortium
We are a partner in the OPTIMIZE Consortium, led by Wits RHI from South Africa and funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). OPTIMIZE aims to accelerate access to simpler, safer and more affordable HIV treatment by integrating clinical research, novel formulation technologies to reduce treatment costs, and accelerated product introduction in developing countries. The formulation technologies include innovation by the University of Liverpool – our licensor and collaborator, and also an OPTIMIZE partner. OPTIMIZE also includes International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Program (ICAP) at Columbia University, Mylan Laboratories, the St. Stephen’s AIDS Trust (SSAT) and the University of Cape Town. OPTIMIZE collaborates closely with other partners funded by Unitaid.
We work with many international, regional and national civil societies, community-based organisations and patient groups to understand treatment needs and difficulties with treatment access. Our collaborations focus on overcoming challenges to expanding treatment, identifying priorities, obtaining feedback on our licences, and supporting the data collection needed for our licensing work. We regularly organise consultations with civil society organisations at international and regional conferences. Representatives from civil society organisations and community groups also serve on our Governance Board, Expert Advisory Group (EAG) and Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP).
Civil society organisations, communities and patient groups interested in partnering with us should reach out to policy@medicinespatentpool.org.
Among all these organisations, we also signed MoUs with the following:
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)
In May 2018, we signed a MoU with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), an internationally-recognised leader in the fight against paediatric AIDS, to accelerate the uptake of new treatments in developing countries. MPP and EGPAF will collaborate on improving access to more optimal and better-adapted paediatric ART formulations as well as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatments, and will explore additional therapeutic areas of mutual interest. The MoU calls for exchange of information and other joint initiatives to speed national registration and adoption of important new products, notably in EGPAF’s partnering countries.
ICAP
In May 2017, we signed a MoU with ICAP at Columbia University outlining a framework of collaboration to improve access to treatment for people living with HIV. Under this framework, we work together to facilitate market introduction and uptake of jointly-identified priority medicines for the prevention and treatment of HIV in LMICs, particularly where ICAP operates. MPP and ICAP have also agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration in tuberculosis (TB), including TB/HIV co-infection. Founded in 2003 at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP is one of the largest U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief implementing partners. Both ICAP and MPP are partners in the OPTIMIZE Consortium, led by Wits RHI and supported through the United States Agency for International Development. OPTIMIZE is a global partnership unifying distinct voices to achieve a common goal: accelerating access to simpler, safer and more affordable HIV treatment.
The International Diabetes Federation
In August 2020, we signed a MoU with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), to improve access to affordable and high-quality diabetes medicines in LMICs.
The Medicines For All Institute (M4ALL)
In September 2018, we signed a MoU with the Medicines For All Institute (M4ALL) to accelerate access to global health medicines in LMICs, by promoting the reduced cost of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) – a major cost driver in treating infectious diseases in the developing world.
The World Heart Federation
In September 2020, we signed a MoU with the World Heart Federation (WHF), to work closely in furthering the shared goal of promoting wide availability of quality, safe, effective & affordable essential medicines for better cardiovascular health.
Besides licensing and sublicensing agreements, we also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the following partners:
Afrigen
Afrigen is a biotechnology company incorporated in South Africa, which established the first adjuvant formulation laboratory in Africa and has a pipeline of vaccines in development. Afrigen has built strong research and development partnerships with leading Universities in South Africa and across Africa.The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and Afrigen have signed an agreement to allow the South African biotechnology company to establish itself as the global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub. The 39 million euros grant will cover the work from 2021 to 2026. As part of the consortium, and through a hub and spoke model, the project aims to boost the vaccine manufacturing capacity of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to respond more equitably to COVID-19 and future pandemics.
CELT
The Centre of Excellence in Long-acting Therapeutics (CELT) is a cross-faculty research initiative combining world leading expertise in pharmacology and materials chemistry and working with international partners to disseminate research findings in long-acting medicine and change the global landscape of drug administration. MPP partners with CELT to ensure access barriers are addressed early in the development cycle for low- and middle-income countries to obtain these innovations promptly.
LEAP
The Long-Acting/Extended Release Antiretroviral Research Resource Program (LEAP) supports scientific innovation that shows promise for product development of drugs and delivery platforms for HIV and overlapping diseases. The programme identifies ways to overcome limitations of currently available products and develops predictive strategies to identify promising pharmacologic properties suitable for advanced development. MPP partners with LEAP to ensure that access issues are considered as early as possible in the development of long-acting therapeutics.
Otsuka
In October 2017, we signed a MoU with Otsuka to make delamanid more available to children infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The MoU outlines areas of collaboration between the two parties including seeking funding to have a third-party develop the treatment and engaging in licensing activities to move this forward.
TB Alliance
In April 2016, we signed a MoU with TB Alliance outlining a multi-pronged collaboration to encourage the development of new TB regimens and to ensure their availability in LMICs.
In October 2017, MPP and TB Alliance signed a second MoU to facilitate third-party development of sutezolid-containing TB regimens. The MoU followed the sublicensing agreement signed by both organisations in March 2017 granting TB Alliance the rights to develop the treatment for drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB patients.
We work closely with several governments to understand treatment needs, current barriers to expanding treatment, current prices in the market and procurement options. Our licence agreements have enabled many developing country governments to procure more affordable medicines for their treatment programmes. Governments interested in working with us should contact policy@medicinespatentpool.org.
National and regional patent offices
MPP has several collaborative agreements with national and regional patent offices to collect patent information for inclusion in MedsPaL, its Medicines Patents and Licences Database.
MPP collaborates with the following regional patent offices:
- African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)
- Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO)
- European Patent Office (EPO) that facilitates the automatic update of some of the information contained in MedsPaL
In addition, MPP has agreements with the following country patent offices, that enables regular updating of national patent data:
- Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI)
- Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI)
- Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI)
- Costa Rica’s National Register (Registro Nacional Costa Rica)
- Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI)
- Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI)
- Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO)
- El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR)
- Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI)
- South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC)
- Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI)
National or regional patent offices interested in partnering may contact: medspal@medicinespatentpool.org. You can also contact us to have access to MPP’s model agreement with patent offices.
National Medical Products Administration, China
MPP and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), set up directly under the State Council of People’s Republic of China, signed a MoU in October 2018 to improve collaboration and exchange of information for MPP sublicensees based in China. The two parties are especially interested to ensure that MPP’s Chinese sublicensees are able to obtain Certificate of Pharmaceutical Products (COPPs) from NMPA for drugs for which these companies hold voluntary licences.
United States Agency for International Development
In November 2017, we signed a MoU with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to accelerate the introduction of affordable new medicines for diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries. MPP and USAID collaborate as part of the OPTIMIZE consortium, supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
In January 2021, we signed a MoU with the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (the JRC), laying the foundation for cooperation between the two organisations in the field of intellectual property (IP) (patents, technologies and know-how) in health sector. We will work together to (i) identify mechanisms and incentives to encourage the beneficiaries of EU funding to make available their IP through MPP, (ii) find synergies on common public health initiatives such as the ACT accelerator, and (iii) collaborate beyond COVID-19 on access to essential medicines, among other aims.
We recognise and appreciate the pro bono legal services provided by Dechert LLP, Rajeshwari & Associates, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, and Davis Polk & Wardwell.