THE IP OFFICE OF THE PHILIPPINES COOPERATION WITH PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATIONS TO FIGHT COUNTERFEIT MEDICINE
14 May 2024
Philippines
share
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has teamed up with the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) to combat counterfeit medicines and foster a supportive environment for healthcare innovation.
On April 8, 2024, IPOPHL and PHAP signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to address the challenges of illicit activities online, particularly the sale of fake medicines.
One crucial aspect of this partnership is PHAP's involvement in the E-Commerce MOU, an initiative established in 2021 with leading online platforms like Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, Zalora, and brand owners. Together, they aim to combat online infringement of IP rights. Teodoro Padilla, PHAP's executive director, highlighted the importance of establishing a code of practice and enhancing collaboration to ensure a safer online trading environment with proactive measures to prevent and remove counterfeit products.
Rowel Barba, IPOPHL's Director-General, emphasized the significance of PHAP joining the E-Commerce MOU, expanding the campaign against counterfeiting to include 37 stakeholders.
PHAP has also committed to drafting a work plan for the timely execution of deliverables outlined in a separate MOU. These agreements facilitate knowledge-sharing on emerging trends related to counterfeit drug distribution, ethical collaboration among healthcare providers and technology companies, and consultations on legislative measures critical to IPOPHL and PHAP's objectives, such as amendments to the IP Code of 1997 and the Pharmaceutical Innovation Bill.
The signatories will engage in policy dialogues to strengthen the country's IP regime for healthcare innovation and launch joint anti-counterfeiting campaigns and IP awareness activities. This collaboration represents a significant step in safeguarding public health and intellectual property rights in the digital era.
If you have any inquiries regarding intellectual property matters, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
