Cristóbal Thompson, Executive Director of the AMIIF
In the pharmaceutical industry we are clear that intellectual property (IP) is key to fostering an environment that promotes innovations in healthcare and improves people’s well-being. It is also a reward mechanism that provides competitive advantages and legal certainty to invest in research and development and encourage innovation.
Since the 20th century, medical advances promoted through intellectual property have undoubtedly improved life expectancy and quality of life, thanks to health innovations. For example, hepatitis C, which was a death sentence several years ago, is curable today. The same is true for cancer, which is changing from a fatal disease to a chronic disease. People with other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hemophilia or autoimmune diseases, today have a life expectancy similar to that of the rest of the population.
This is thanks to innovation and in turn, innovation is possible with a robust intellectual property protection system. For example, intellectual property (IP) played a determining role in countries’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The development of vaccines, therapies and technologies kept many populations connected, protected and informed, while charting a path that allowed the progressive recovery of the global economy.
Thus we can see that intellectual property also creates value for the economies of countries. Data from the report “The Importance of Intellectual Property-Intensive Manufacturing Industries to the U.S. Economy” shows that countries that file more patents tend to experience higher rates of economic growth, which accelerate over time as their patent activity increases. patenting.
In the “International Intellectual Property Index 2023”, From the American Chamber of Commerce, which compares the IP framework in 55 global economies, Mexico ranks 23rd, with an overall score of 58.9%. At the regional level it is in first position, followed by Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Chile. At the top of the ranking are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Sweden, respectively.
There is no progress without an ecosystem of innovation and creativity, and the fuel for that ecosystem is a robust intellectual property framework that incentivizes investments to develop cutting-edge products and services.
The health innovation industry strictly adheres to current legislation on intellectual property, which is also protected in international treaties to which Mexico is a party. We must support the protection of intellectual property and innovations that improve people’s lives and health.