Comment from info
Time: March 4, 2009, 5:48 pm

Reply to March 2nd Letter from UC President Yudof

Almost four hundred of UAEM-UC’s supporters, from Japan to Uganda, and Pakistan to Palo Alto, received a letter from University of California President Mark Yudof on March 2, 2009, in response to their letters urging the adoption of a Global Access License policy for the UC’s medical innovations.

President Yudof’s letter, described previous examples of innovative licensing practices at the UC, and reiterated his invitation for UAEM to present its Framework Proposal at the March 12 meeting of the systemwide Technology Transfer Advisory Committee in Oakland. The Framework emerged after years of collaboration with physicians, scientists, attorneys, and technology transfer administrators from the world’s most important research institutions and medical service providers.

Although UAEM members and supporters appreciate the past, UAEM at Berkeley, Davis, Hastings, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Francisco are decidedly focused on the future, and will continue to lobby the TTAC and campus-based administrators to join a process that will turn the Framework into the UC’s Global Access Policy.

Our reply to the President was delivered on March 4, 2009, and is available here . In it, we respond to misconceptions about the issue we confront, its dimensions, and the UC’s ability to shape future outcomes. Responding to the Office of the President, we demonstrate the viability of the proposal, its ability to substantially affect therapy access, and its acceptability to industry allies.

Only time stands between the University of California and a Global Access License.

Comment from info
Time: March 24, 2009, 3:49 am

Summary of UAEM Presentation to UC TTAC

On March 12, 2009, UAEM members from UCLA, UC Hastings, UCSF and UC Berkeley met with the system-wide Technology Transfer Advisory Committee and presented UAEM’s Global Access License Framework. UAEM explained its origins at Yale, and the effect of its successes there to lower the price of stavudine (d4t) by 96% for HIV-positive patients in South Africa.

Seeking to turn that single-compound policy into a system-wide reality, UAEM motivated a proposal to study global access principles that the UC could make its own. Informed by the Stanford Nine Points and drawing on UC experts in medicine, law, policy, and technology transfer, the process the TTAC currently considers would allow for maximum stakeholder input and consultation.

The presentation and meeting lasted an hour. It was chaired by Dr. Steven Beckwith, the Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies at the UC Office of the President.

UAEM communicated detailed responses to some of the committee members’ questions and comments, and it is available here. We also sent a copy of our Frequently Asked Questions , a document that addresses many of the thoughts expressed in the meeting.

Dr. Joel Kirschbaum, UCSF’s head of Technology Management, replied to that letter (his response). Our correspondence with Kirschbaum continues here.

Comment from info
Time: April 14, 2009, 2:38 am

Nobel Laureate and Former UN Special Envoy Support UAEM’s Efforts

Sir John Sulston, 2002 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, and Stephen Lewis, Co-Director of AIDS Free World and Former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, both endorsed the efforts of UC students to bring global access licensing to the University of California. John Sulston wrote, “We must change the current paradigm of irresponsible licensing and ensure that the fruits of the UC system benefit all mankind.” These sentiments were shared by Stephen Lewis when he stated, “As an unrivaled leader in biomedical technology, the University already plays an important role in the advancement of medicine in developed countries through the licensing of its inventions. Now, the onus is on the University to ensure that the fruit of its labor benefits the whole world.” Their statements were delivered to each member of the UC Technology Transfer Advisory Committee on March 12th. UAEM is still awaiting for a formal reply from the Committee.

The full statements can be found here:
Sulston Letter [.pdf]
Lewis Letter [.pdf]