Economics of innovation and access to medical technologies

The past decade has seen more systematic efforts to use the tools of economic analysis to support discussions on health policy, particularly in developing economies. The WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (WHO, 2001a) was a major milestone along this road. The present study does not attempt to advance economic analysis and the theoretical understanding of the economics of technology innovation and access issues. Rather, it recognizes the growing importance of economic concepts in policy debate, and it briefly reviews the main economic concepts and the current body of literature dealing with the IP aspects of these issues.