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Global Problems, Global
Solutions: How Intellectual
Property Answers the
Call in a Time of Crisis
By Patrick Kilbride
Senior Vice President, Global Innovation Policy Center
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, it is we at the U.S. Chamber believe we are part of a
impossible to escape comparisons to the “whole-of-society" approach.
1918 Influenza epidemic: modern society’s
most recent global health emergency of this The member companies of the U.S. Chamber
scope. No doubt, global ties at that time, too— of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center
through transportation, commerce, and even (GIPC) — innovators in the biopharmaceutical,
war—contributed to the circulation of the movies and music, and technology sectors —
virus on an unprecedented scale. And though are known for creating cutting-edge products,
our great-grandparents were far from tweeting, services, and technologies that lengthen and
posting, or dancing on TikTok, they were still enrich the lives of billions. In a time of acute
inundated with false information and rumors. global crisis, when public life is under threat, our
By 1919 the pandemic killed nearly 50 million role has become ever clearer: a source of health,
people — some 3-4% of the world’s population. safety, security, comfort, and aid to society.
Given such dizzying losses, humankind
was forced to take a deep, hard look at our Our primary concern, no doubt, is facilitating
collective capabilities. And in the spirit of our global collaboration to develop vaccines and
species, we adapted. treatments for COVID-19 patients. In the spirit
of scientific inquiry, our member companies
Despite the comparisons, we are fortunate to continue to work alongside government research
have advantages that those earlier generations labs and universities. The average person might
didn’t: global solutions. Thanks to technology, not know, however, that 57 percent of all new
strong global infrastructure, and the work of medicines come from the United States, and
governments, business, and individuals, we are that private biopharmaceutical companies make
able to come together to fight the COVID-19 more than 80 percent of the investment in the
pandemic. How can hospitals heal the sick if research and development of those new drugs.
they don’t have the supplies they need? How Further, these companies have the ability to test
can companies produce these supplies without and produce products quickly, safely, and in great
physical workers and efficient processes? How numbers — a critical role given the rapid spread
can governments and business best care for of the virus.
workers that are displaced? And lastly—truly the
most important, in my view: how will anyone be Scientific and medical journal publishers are also
saved from this pandemic if society — all of us — contributing to the fight as they make COVID-19,
don’t engage in rigorous social distancing? Truly, SARS, and MERS-related studies available for
3 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
Global Problems, Global
Solutions: How Intellectual
Property Answers the
Call in a Time of Crisis
By Patrick Kilbride
Senior Vice President, Global Innovation Policy Center
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, it is we at the U.S. Chamber believe we are part of a
impossible to escape comparisons to the “whole-of-society" approach.
1918 Influenza epidemic: modern society’s
most recent global health emergency of this The member companies of the U.S. Chamber
scope. No doubt, global ties at that time, too— of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center
through transportation, commerce, and even (GIPC) — innovators in the biopharmaceutical,
war—contributed to the circulation of the movies and music, and technology sectors —
virus on an unprecedented scale. And though are known for creating cutting-edge products,
our great-grandparents were far from tweeting, services, and technologies that lengthen and
posting, or dancing on TikTok, they were still enrich the lives of billions. In a time of acute
inundated with false information and rumors. global crisis, when public life is under threat, our
By 1919 the pandemic killed nearly 50 million role has become ever clearer: a source of health,
people — some 3-4% of the world’s population. safety, security, comfort, and aid to society.
Given such dizzying losses, humankind
was forced to take a deep, hard look at our Our primary concern, no doubt, is facilitating
collective capabilities. And in the spirit of our global collaboration to develop vaccines and
species, we adapted. treatments for COVID-19 patients. In the spirit
of scientific inquiry, our member companies
Despite the comparisons, we are fortunate to continue to work alongside government research
have advantages that those earlier generations labs and universities. The average person might
didn’t: global solutions. Thanks to technology, not know, however, that 57 percent of all new
strong global infrastructure, and the work of medicines come from the United States, and
governments, business, and individuals, we are that private biopharmaceutical companies make
able to come together to fight the COVID-19 more than 80 percent of the investment in the
pandemic. How can hospitals heal the sick if research and development of those new drugs.
they don’t have the supplies they need? How Further, these companies have the ability to test
can companies produce these supplies without and produce products quickly, safely, and in great
physical workers and efficient processes? How numbers — a critical role given the rapid spread
can governments and business best care for of the virus.
workers that are displaced? And lastly—truly the
most important, in my view: how will anyone be Scientific and medical journal publishers are also
saved from this pandemic if society — all of us — contributing to the fight as they make COVID-19,
don’t engage in rigorous social distancing? Truly, SARS, and MERS-related studies available for
3 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
