Ellen 't Hoen

📢 Maak #geengeheim van mijn medicijn.

@ellenthoen.bsky.social is expert patentrecht en directeur van @medslawpolicy.bsky.social. Zij ondertekende de open brief aan de regering en Tweede Kamer voor meer transparantie in de farma-sector.

✍ Lees en onderteken de brief op www.wemos.org/geengeheim.

When the @who.int Executive Board discusses agenda item 14 on the draft updated global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (perhaps tomorrow), VMAT may crop up as a point of contention. @who.int #EB158

TRIPS flexibilities help change policy and practice to increase access to medicines: evidence from 2001 to 2024 Introduction Millions of people lack access to safe and effective pharmaceuticals because they are unaffordable or unavailable, particularly in ‘developing’ and ‘least-developed’ countries (DCs, LDCs)...

Just out: our overview of over two decades of the use of TRIPS flexibilities to access medicines in BMJ Global Health gh.bmj.com/content/11/1...

Met dank aan @wemos.org om mij hierbij te betrekken. Transparantie is de basis van een democratische samenleving en het vertrouwen in de instituties en bedrijven die er actief zijn. Dat geldt ook voor de farmaceutische industrie.

US withdraws from the World Health Organization The United States officially left the World Health Organization on Thursday after a year of warnings that doing so would hurt public health in the U.S. and globally, saying its decision reflected fail...

Meanwhile: US has now left the @who.int “The U.S. flag had been removed from outside the WHO headquarters in Geneva on Thursday, according to witnesses.” www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Only in the weekend? You’re not there yet. ;-)

New Oxfam Inequality report just dropped:

Billionaire wealth has grown by 80% since 2020.

The world’s 12 richest billionaires have more wealth than the poorest half of humanity.

Elon Musk is the first ever person to have over half a trillion dollars wealth.

US drugmakers threaten to withhold products from Europe over prices Pharmaceutical companies seek to make up any lost revenue after striking deals with Donald Trump to lower costs in US

US pharma threaten to withhold products from Europe over prices
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

With political savvy and outrage over drug prices, advocate David Mitchell was ahead of his time David Mitchell, who helped launch Patients for Affordable Drugs to raise awareness of high drug prices and seek to bring them down, died at age 75.

Nice tribute to David Mitchell, a US drug pricing advocate who recently passed away. @statnews.com www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/d...

Apparently non-State actors in official relations and relevant stakeholders are not welcome (physically) at the resumed session of #IGWG4 in January 2026: "Please also note that Relevant Stakeholders are invited to participate in the meeting virtually."

Here is my end of the year blog with a highly biased listing of noteworthy medicines law and policy events of 2025: medicineslawandpolicy.org/2025/12/wrap...

Draft Program - Centre Launch 3 Dec Centre on Knowledge GovernanceLaunch Event and Reception Wednesday 3 December 2025, 6.00pm - 9.30pm, including receptionAuditorium A-2, Petal 2, Graduate Institute, Chem. Eugène-Rigot 2, 1202 Genèv...

I am looking forward to being part of the launch event of the Centre on Knowledge Governance tonight at the @gvagrad.bsky.social docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Global health aid cuts: WHO urges urgent action to protect vulnerable populations With drastic reductions in health aid threatening essential services and millions of lives, WHO issues new guidance for countries to safeguard health budgets, limit out-of-pocket payments, and mobilis...

“Transitioning to self-reliance sounds good but what is happening today is not a transition. It is a shock to the system of which the most vulnerable will carry the brunt”, says @ellenthoen.bsky.social in a new @thelancet.com here:

Thanks. That did not show up on my computer. Will change settings.

France is killing it - net price transparency now, ammendment tabled and adopted ! @healthlawadamh.bsky.social @mattherder.bsky.social

It’s trading PA for PEPFAR

Fully support this morning’s statement by @theindpanel.bsky.social at the #PABS talks at the WHO. It relates to the news broken by @healthpolicywatch.bsky.social that the US is seeking access to pathogen information in exchange for health funding. healthpolicy-watch.news/exclusive-us...

War is pushing us to a drug resistance tipping point Failure to prevent the rise and spread of infections in conflict zones imperils health security everywhere

on.ft.com/493t0RL War is pushing us to a drug resistance tipping point by @gardp.bsky.social

Medicines justice - Registration

Last chance to register for the Amsterdam Medicines Justice Conference. registration closes tomorrow: www.aanmelder.nl/medicinesjus...

Meanwhile on the dark side:

The @wto.org just published its 2025 World Trade Report on trade and AI to the benefit for all: www.wto.org/english/res_...

$10 Million in Contraceptives Have Been Destroyed on Orders From Trump Officials

Because “contraception is not life-saving” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...

Next week, at the @who.int the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) tasked with negotiating the PABS Instrument will take place. We just published this brief on the subject:
medicineslawandpolicy.org/2025/09/who-...

Alarm as WHO accepts increasing amount of dark money from corporate donors Experts say millions in corporate funding and concealment of donors’ identities raises key conflict-of-interest concerns

The WHO Foundation should clean up its act. And so should member states by supporting the @who.int with core financing.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

GLP-1 drugs have been on the Medicines Patent Pool priority list for a while. Time for the companies to come forward now @who.int labeled them essential @thirugeneva.bsky.social @medicinespatentpool.org

Here is our blog on the new WHO Essential Medicines List : medicineslawandpolicy.org/2025/09/trea...

Here you can find the new Model lists of Essential Medicines.

A huge turning point: CF medicine’s Trikafta/Kaftrio added to WHO Essential Medicines List Today marks a historic breakthrough in the fight for global access to lifesaving cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment.The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially added elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacafto...

The WHO just published its new Model List of Essential Medicines list. Pleased to see cystic fibrosis meds included. Thanks to the great work of the Right to Breathe campaign. However, Vertex's high prices will continue to be a barrier. www.righttobreathe.net/post/a-huge-...

Pfizer’s CEO defends Covid vaccines, suggests Trump may deserve a Nobel Peace Prize Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla defended the development of Covid vaccines and suggested President Trump may deserve a Nobel Peace Prize because of Operation Warp Speed.

Not sure that this will do a great deal for increasing confidence in vaccines. www.statnews.com/2025/09/03/p...