Analisa Keberhasilan Program Pemberian Obat Pencegahan Massal (POPM) Filariasis Re-TAS 1 di Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Utara

District of Hulu Sungai Utara conducted an additional 2 (two) rounds of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for filariasis prevention in 2014 and 2015 that resulted in the success of the re-Transmission Assessment Survey Phase 1 (re-TAS 1) in 2016. This study was conducted to identify factors affecting the technical aspects of the aforementioned two additional rounds of MDA. This is a descriptive qualitative study, with a cross-sectional study design. The research was performed from September to November 2017. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with some executive stakeholders (health workers, cadres, community leaders, local women group) involved in the implementation of MDA for the filariasis elimination program. The result from indepth interviews shows the presence of technical factors at the execution level which supports the smooth implementation of the two additional rounds of MDA. Those factors include communication, resources, operational standard, bureaucracy, and pharmaceutical innovation. The success of the additional MDA roundswas marked by the absence of the re-TAS sample that was tested positive of Brugia Rapid™. The pharmaceutical innovation which transforms the dosage form of the medication into powdered form with some additional sweetener that was done in 2014-2015 can improve coverage of the treatment as well as the medication adherence for the early childhood population group. Changing pharmaceutical dosage forms require additional support in the form of human resources, infrastructure as well as financing

Modalities, Challenges, and Possibilities

On October 25, 2019, the Texas A&M Journal of Property Law and the Center for Law and Intellectual Property at Texas A&M University School of Law jointly organized the “Pharmaceutical Innovation, Patent Protection, and Regulatory Exclusivities” Symposium. Although none of the organizers and participants could predict what was to come in the next few months, there was a wide consensus that the rapid changes in the pharmaceutical landscape and our continuous struggle to strike a proper balance between proprietary protection and public access in the public health arena deserves scholarly, policy, and regulatory attention. To help contextualize the articles included in this special issue and to inform readers about the inspirations and motivations behind the Symposium, Part II of this Introductory Article explores the different modalities of protection—in particular the role of patents and regulatory exclusivities in providing the needed incentives to pharmaceutical developers. Part III identifies three sets of challenges that affect the future of pharmaceutical innovation at both the domestic and international levels. Part IV utilizes a very recent event—the COVID-19 pandemic—to illustrate the wide array of policy options and possibilities both within and outside the intellectual property system. This Part makes salient the nexus between the domestic and international debates on pharmaceutical innovation.