STAT+: Colombia wins a key court ruling over a compulsory license issued for an HIV medicine
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A South American court upheld the steps taken by the Colombian government when it issued a compulsory license two years ago for an HIV medicine, a move that confirmed the legal framework for using such an approach in the future. The Court of Justice of the Andean Community — a tribunal that settles trade, intellectual property, and labor disputes for Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru — also ruled that the Colombian government had properly justified the reasons for issuing a license and appropriately set an expiration date for its license. “The court concluded that Colombia did not incur a breach of Andean regulations, since such measures are valid when there are reasons of public interest,” the health ministry said in a statement. “Colombia adequately complied with the obligation to determine the duration of the compulsory license” for the medicine, which is sold by ViiV Healthcare.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…