The Forum for the Progress and Development of South America (PROSUR) has just published a new Bulletin on Patents that are in the Public Domain, and that can be used in the fight against the COVID-19 spread.

PROSUR is a South American initiative that coordinates mechanisms for public policies in defense of democracy, the independence of powers, the economy of markets, the social agenda, with sustainability and with due application.

WIPO has just launched a new search facility index for their PATENTCOPE Database dure to the current COVID-19 spread. 

Thanks to the index, users (scientists, engineers, public health policymakers, industry actors and members of the general public) will be able to access easily to information contained in published patent documents for improving the prevention, detection and treatment for disease like the new coronavirus.

All the information is accessible in 6 different languages: English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have published a new Report on Trade in Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Products.

In accordance to the report, just in 2016  the total value of counterfeit pharmaceuticals traded worldwide was up to EUR 4.03 billion. The top five counterfeited products seized by customs during the period 2013-2016 were: antibiotics, sexual impuissance treatments, painkillers, anti-malarial and diabetes treatments.

The Peruvian National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) has just published a list of 20 pharmaceutical patents related to the treatment of HIV, cancer, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, among others, which are already in the public domain and free to use without prior permission.

These free-use pharmaceutical patents are referred to the treatment of diseases with a high impact on public health.