Overview

To improve public health worldwide, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants licenses to organizations around the world to commercialize intellectual property invented by research scientists at HHS. This portfolio of patent applications, issued patents and unique biological materials includes technologies for influenza vaccines and diagnostics, all of which are available to qualified organizations, both commercial and non-profit.

To facilitate the development of new technologies world-wide, including in developing countries where there is no patent protection; HHS will license unique biological materials relevant to these technologies to organizations in such countries for the development of influenza vaccines and diagnostics. HHS can grant any qualified organization a research use license on a non-exclusive basis. HHS will not require royalties on products donated or sold at cost to public institutions for use in developing countries. License terms will be commensurate with the commitment of organizations to bring technologies to market through development on a country-by-country or regional basis.

The filing of these patent applications is consistent with the HHS policy to develop tools and technologies that facilitate the translation of research advances into medical products for the benefit of public health. This strategy has been utilized successfully by HHS to transfer technologies for vaccine development to countries such as Brazil, China, and Egypt. The patents are incentives for organizations to incur the cost and risk of investing in research advances to develop products and to bring them to market. At this early stage of development, no one knows which, if any, of these or other multiple technologies will bring the world closer to new safe and effective vaccines or diagnostics for seasonal or pandemic influenza.

The archive of Secretary Leavitt’s Pandemic Planning and Preparedness Webcast on October 29th, 2008 is now available at http://www.pandemicflu.gov/news/panflu_webinar7.html.

We would also like to cordially invite you to join us on Wednesday, December 17th at 2 p.m. ET for the next PlanFirst Webcast. Details about the upcoming Webcast will be posted on the PlanFirst Webcasts home page (http://pandemicflu.gov/news/panflu_webinar.html) in the near future.