Amgen v. Sanofi is an important case, but it won’t transform patent law on its own.
By Timothy Bonis
Last April, the Supreme Court ruled in Amgen v. Sanofi, a closely watched patent case where the justices upheld the invalidation of two monoclonal antibody patents for lack of enablement. The ruling has attracted significant interest
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Responding to Public Health Emergencies by Upholding Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law
By Anita Gholami
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which brings together parliamentarians from 46 member States, has been a vigilant guardian of respect for the European Convention on Human Rights and other international standards throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Assembly has adopted a number of resolutions and recommendations seeking to equip parliaments…
Addressing Ghost Networks in Mental Health Care
By Hannah Rahim
By Hannah Rahim
Many mental health provider directories for private and public insurance plans contain inaccurate or outdated provider information, which creates a misleading illusion of accessible care. These ghost networks result in many patients being unable to access essential mental health care. To tackle this issue, federal and state governments should strengthen the…
Scarcity Is Not an Excuse to Discriminate: Age and Disability in Health Care Rationing
By Silvia Serrano Guzmán
On July 4, 2023 the Constitutional Court of Colombia handed down a landmark decision on one of the most difficult dilemmas faced during the COVID-19 pandemic: the rationing of intensive care in situations of scarcity. Although the need for prioritization was a reality almost globally, many countries had no such regulation…
Data Pseudonymization and POPIA
By Donrich Thaldar
Just as Zeus, the King of the Gods in Greek mythology, assumed various forms to conceal his true identity, so does modern data often undergo transformations to mask its origins. Zeus could become a swan, a bull, or even golden rain to achieve his purposes — all while maintaining his essence. Similarly,…
We May Not ‘Own’ Our Bodies. Should We?
By Adithi Iyer
By Adithi Iyer
As the provision of human tissue leaves the research realm and becomes a bona fide consumer transaction, our legal responses to these developments will be most effective when we know what we want to protect, and how.
Perhaps the most famous discussion around tissue “donation” comes from the story of Henrietta…
Public Health Emergencies and Human Rights Principles: A Solidarity Approach
By Anne Kjersti Befring and Cecilia Marcela Bailliet
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a grave threat to humanity and revealed the need for a new approach to improve transnational cooperation within the global health system and new perspectives on solidarity addressing the cross-border spread of infection and distribution of vaccines.
The Principles and Guidelines on…
Ketamine is the New Viagra
By Vincent Joralemon
Spravato, the first FDA-approved psychedelic therapy, just outsold Viagra. Johnson & Johnson’s ketamine-based formulation generated $183 million in Q3, surpassing Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction (ED) drug, which earned $110 million over the same period. Remarkably, a therapeutic made from ketamine, once dismissed as a “club drug” or “horse tranquilizer,” now sells more than…
Securing a Place for Children’s Rights in Public Health Emergencies
By Sheila Varadan, Ton Liefaard, and Jaap Doek
The Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Public Health Emergencies (Principles) make a significant contribution towards clarifying the scope of States’ legal obligations under international human rights law during public health emergencies. What is missing, however, is a specific and detailed discussion on the rights obligations…
Cristina Britez and the Many Faces of Obstetric Violence
By Alma Beltrán y Puga
This past weekend marked the 25th of November, a day to remember that all manifestations of gender-based violence should be prevented and eliminated in health procedures.
Unfortunately, one of the most prevalent forms of gender-based violence — obstetric violence — has not been sufficiently addressed by health practitioners.
Obstetric violence…