The importance of the TRIPS Agreement in regulating access to medicines and pharmaceuticals within the WTO

https://www.doi.org/10.32523/2791-0954-2025-13-2-6-18

Abstract

Global health issues and its connection with the development of the modern economy are one of the most important problems of our time, which worries every state and the entire world community. Good health for all people is a goal pursued by many international organizations, including both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). This article examines the issues of access to medicines within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), analyzes such important documents as the TRIPS Agreement, the Doha Declaration, the WHO Strategy for Medicines, approved by the 54th session of the World Health Assembly (WHO resolution 54.11), provides factors that ensure wide access to medicines and vaccines. The article presents different points of view on the importance of patents for pharmaceutical discoveries, and examines in detail the tools of the intellectual property system, including parallel import and compulsory licensing, which can be crucial in supporting differentiated pricing and market segmentation. In the final part of the article, conclusions and suggestions are formulated on the issue of access to medicines and vaccines.