Report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health: a call to governments.

The Commission on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH) was given the task of reviewing existing research and development (R&D) efforts, examining the role of intellectual prope erty (IP) in stimulating innovation, and to make concrete proposals for action by national and international stakeholders, both public and private, to encourage R&D for diseases that disproportione ately affect developing countries. The Commission focussed exclusively on the application of IP to pharmaceuticals, and did not address the public health ime plications of copyright law, or genomic patents, which are covered elsewhere in this issue. The report 1 presents a wealth of evidence and analysis in support of the view that the current system of drug dee velopment is fundamentally flawed and leaves huge health needs unmet, because of its reliance on patents and commercial incentives for the priorityesetting and financing of medical R&D. The report calls for improved mechanisms that proe mote research that responds to patients’ needs, and that ensure access to innovae tions for all. However, it fails to provide alternatives and concrete new proposals. Many of the data presented in the report illustrate the urgent need for change. I will discuss some of the Come mission’s more salient conclusions, on intellectual property rights, international trade, access to medicines, and global frameworks.