TRIPS and compulsory licences: raising the bar

The US is approaching the final stages of establishing a trade agreement with 11 Pacific Rim nations. This pact, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), aims not only to promote trade and improve economies in the Asia-Pacific region, but also to address various other issues, notably, intellectual property. Of particular interest to the pharmaceutical industry is a proposal by the US to increase standards for compulsory licences above the requirements that the international community already has in place.