During its third full year of operation WIPO Re:Search nearly doubled the number of research agreements using shared intellectual property to promote the fight against neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and malaria and welcomed 14 new members including Merck KGaA and Kineta Inc., as well as six institutions from the developing world, where the targeted diseases are most prevalent.
As 2014 closed, 82 collaborations were in place among the 94 members, including 38 new agreements, nearly doubling the numbers of managed partnerships and surpassing the goal of 15 new agreements for the year.
“We are very pleased with the level of engagement and interest in WIPO Re:Search by the various providers and users,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. “We are hopeful that these positive results will continue to grow in the coming years and lead to outcomes to alleviate the huge burden of neglected tropical diseases on already vulnerable populations.”
WIPO Re:Search allows organizations to share their intellectual property, compounds, expertise, facilities and know-how royalty-free with qualified researchers worldwide working on new solutions for these maladies, which affect more than one billion people across the globe.
Malaria and tuberculosis represented 44% of all partnerships established by the end of 2014. Other collaboration cover an additional 12 neglected tropical diseases, with drug discovery continuing to be the primary focus of agreements established in 2014.
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