Intellectual property and health
The intersection of intellectual property and health raises critical questions about innovation, access, and equity in healthcare. Patents and regulatory frameworks play a key role in driving pharmaceutical advancements but also pose challenges in ensuring fair access to essential medicines, particularly during global health crises.
Our researchers explore how intellectual property frameworks influence public health, focusing on issues such as regulatory data exclusivity, the interpretation of trade agreements like the TRIPS Agreement, and knowledge governance during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. This work examines how IP systems can adapt to evolving health challenges, balancing innovation with the need for equitable and sustainable global health outcomes.
Patents, regulation and medicine costs
With support from a Marsden Fund Grant, Professors Susy Frankel and Jessica Lai investigate how "mission creep’" between patents and pharmaceutical regulation impacts medicine costs. By analysing global data, their work builds an evidence base to guide New Zealand policy, promoting innovation and affordable access to medicines.