The Patent Pool That Unlocked Generic Drug Trade

In this episode of Global Trade with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how the Medicines Patent Pool, a UN-backed initiative, rewrote the rules for generic drug trade. Launched in 2010, the MPP allows patent holders to license their HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis drugs to generic manufacturers in exchange for royalties, creating a legal framework for low-cost production. The result: over 20 billion doses of generic HIV medicine have reached 148 countries, slashing treatment costs from $10,000 per patient per year to under $100. But the model has limits — it covers only a handful of diseases, and some patent holders refuse to join. Lucas and Luna debate whether the MPP could be scaled for future pandemics or new drug classes like cancer treatments. #MedicinesPatentPool #GenericDrugs #GlobalHealth #HIVTreatment #WHO #UNITAID #PatentLaw #TradeAndHealth #DrugPricing #AccessToMedicine #IntellectualProperty #CompulsoryLicensing #PharmaceuticalTrade #TRIPS #GenericManufacturing #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo