Targeted Drug Donations: A Necessary Evil in Need of a Global Harness and a Possible Cure for TRIPS Shortcomings

This Note explores the economic and social factors that drive multinational pharmaceutical companies to donate drugs to developing countries and evaluates the effectiveness of such donations in combating medicine shortages. The Note poses that such donations provide necessary economic incentives to drug companies and help curb high medical prices in developed nations while being an essential tool for ameliorating intellectual property requirements imposed by TRIPS. The Note proposes two solutions to further incorporate donations in access to medicine relief efforts and advocates increased international cooperation in the practice.