Investments in Science and Innovation Thrived During COVID-19

A new report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) found that investments into research and development (R&D) thrived at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and continued to boom in 2021. The report, Global Innovation Index 2022, indicates that innovation saw a spike, despite the pandemic-induced global recession and economic lockdowns in many countries.

Global Collaborations Are Helping Increase Access to COVID-19 Treatments Throughout Southeast Asia

Collaborations between governments, NGOs and private companies have helped research, develop, manufacture and deliver COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in record time. Biopharmaceutical companies were able to build on years of investments to develop safe and effective countermeasures. This demonstrates a model for health systems to effectively respond to public health threats in the future.

G20 Spotlights Indonesia’s Potential for Global and Regional Leadership

At the beginning of his second term, President Joko Widodo’s ambitious plans to reform the economy and state bureaucracy were put on hold to manage the unprecedented public health and economic crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But now Widodo and his government need a post-COVID road map to drive Indonesia towards a new generation of

Bringing Patients Access to Innovation Through Patent Reforms in Indonesia

Ensuring access to new technologies and medicines in Indonesia will require a variety of reforms, including remedying significant deficiencies with Indonesia’s Patent Law. Indonesia’s patent system poses significant barriers at every step of seeking, receiving, and enforcing intellectual property (IP) rights. Challenges include restrictive patentability criteria, lack of mechanisms to compensate for undue delays in the patent examination and regulatory approval processes, absence of regulatory data protection, and support for compulsory licensing.