Public Health Ethics Advance Access published online on May 8, 2008
Public Health Ethics, doi:10.1093/phe/phn016
The Health Impact Fund: A Useful Supplement to the Patent System?
University of Calgary
* Corresponding author: Department of Economics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. Tel.: +1403220 5861; Fax: +1403220 5861; Email: ahollis{at}ucalgary.ca.
| Abstract |
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The Health Impact Fund has been proposed as an optional, comprehensive advance market commitment system offering financial payments or prizes to patentees of new drugs, which are sold globally at an administered low price. The Fund is designed to offer payments based on the therapeutic impact of the drugs or vaccines, so that innovators will have efficient incentives to develop drugs that maximize health gains. Consumers would have improved access to such drugs because of low prices.