Should drug patents be waived?
Patents on medicines…
- Waive them during health crises
- Compulsory licences on a case-by-case basis
- Protect them, or innovation stops
What's at stake: The debate pits access to treatment in a crisis against the funding of research, which largely relies on patents.
The left's argument
In the middle of a health crisis, everyone's health must come before pharma profits.
The centre's argument
Compulsory licences in a crisis, without scrapping the patent system itself.
The right's argument
Patents fund research. Without them, no one would invest as much anymore.
And you, where do you stand?
Answer 30 situations like this one and find out where you stand, topic by topic.