In March 2023 Dr Luke McDonagh presented his research on intellectual property law and access to medicines at two UK Parliamentary briefing sessions at Westminster.
On the 2 March, Dr McDonagh took part in a roundtable discussion on reforms to UK patent and trade secrets law in the context of supporting the WHO mRNA Technology Transfer hub in South Africa. The roundtable was hosted by Christopher Law MP. It featured Members of Parliament, experts from the UK Intellectual Property Office, representatives of NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and STOPAIDS, and Dr Olga Gurgula (Brunel).
[pictured left to Right - Dr Luke McDonagh (LSE); Christopher Law MP; Dr Olga Gurgula (Brunel University)]
On the 23 March Dr McDonagh presented a new report on Trade Secrets and Access to Medicines. The report was co-authored by Dr McDonagh and Dr Olga Gurgula. Attendees at the event included Baroness Barker and Fiona Eshalomi MP (co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS), as well as Trevor Cook (Partner at Wilmer Hale), Prof. Jorge Contreras (Univeristy of Utah and LSE Visiting Professor), Professor Naomi Hawkins (Sheffield) and Dr Alison Slade (Leicester).
[pictured left to right – Dr Olga Gurgula (Brunel), Baroness Barker (Member of the House of Lords); Dr Luke McDonagh (LSE).]
In their report Dr Gurgula and Dr McDonagh propose a new legislative mechanism for the compulsory licensing of trade secrets during public health emergencies. The report is accessible here.
[pictured left to right – Dr Luke McDonagh and Fiona Eshalomi MP]