Compulsory licensing and access to medicines: TRIPS amendment allows export to least-developed countries

Abstract

On 23 January 2017, the TRIPS Agreement was amended to improve access to affordable medicines for developing countries lacking drug manufacturing capacity (IP WATCH; WTO, TRIPS: 23 January 2017 News Items). The new Article 31bis replaces a temporary waiver that gave effect to Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration.