Medicines Patent Pool
Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a UN-backed Swiss foundation that negotiates voluntary patent licenses between originator pharmaceutical companies and generic manufacturers to expand affordable access to essential medicines across 148 low- and middle-income countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Medicines Patent Pool does
Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a UN-backed international public health organization established by Unitaid in 2010 and structured as a Swiss foundation headquartered in Geneva. Its core function is voluntary patent pooling: MPP negotiates licensing agreements with originator pharmaceutical companies and sublicenses those rights to qualified generic manufacturers to enable affordable production of patented essential medicines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The organization targets HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, cancer, and increasingly non-communicable diseases and pandemic preparedness products. MPP works with 22-23 originator patent holders (including ViiV Healthcare, Novartis, and Roche), 15+ generic sublicensees, and reaches 148 LMICs.
MPP's technology stack centers on intellectual property transparency tools and a global licensing platform. Its MedsPaL database tracks over 32,000 patent applications across 208 health products and 203 jurisdictions, while AccessPaL monitors treatment uptake and LAPaL catalogs long-acting therapeutics. Beyond databases, MPP co-hosts the WHO mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, which has trained 13 LMIC manufacturers in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia, with three partners (Biovac, Sinergium, Bio-E) completing successful technology transfers by 2025. Reported cumulative impact includes 62.14 billion doses supplied to 148 LMICs (2010-2025), $2.6 billion in community savings, 6.7 million additional patient-years treated, 1.4 million DALYs averted, and a claimed 44.7x return on Unitaid investment.
MPP's business model is grant-funded, not revenue-generating. Unitaid is the primary funder under a third five-year grant (2021-2025), supplemented by governments (Swiss SDC, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, Flanders), Wellcome Trust, WIPO, and more recently Coefficient Giving. The model is non-commercial by design — MPP does not sell products or charge royalties on most licenses. Its 2026-2030 strategy formally expands into biotherapeutics, local/regional manufacturing, pandemic preparedness, and upstream access, indicating a broadening mandate rather than a narrowing one.
Medicines Patent Pool firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Medicines Patent Pool
- Legal name
- Medicines Patent Pool
- Website
- https://medicinespatentpool.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a UN-backed Swiss foundation that negotiates voluntary patent licenses between originator pharmaceutical companies and generic manufacturers to expand affordable access to essential medicines across 148 low- and middle-income countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Medicines Patent Pool industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Health Patent Licensing and Access Services
- NAICS
- Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533)
- SIC
- Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Generic Tender & Government Supply Markets (HLAIABAM), Government & Public-Sector Pharmaceutical Supply (Tender/Prime Vendor) (HLAIAJAF)
Keywords
Where Medicines Patent Pool is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geneva
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Medicines Patent Pool business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Unitaid Funding: MPP was founded by and receives primary funding from Unitaid, an international financing mechanism. MPP functions under its third five-year grant agreement with Unitaid (2021-2025). Unitaid investments in MPP have generated 44.7x value through generic access expansion and price reductions.
- Government and Philanthropic Funding: MPP receives funding from multiple governments and foundations including: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Japanese Government, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Government of Flanders, Wellcome Trust, WIPO, and Coefficient Giving.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Medicines Patent Pool product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Medicines Patent Pool is a UN-backed public health organization that negotiates voluntary patent licences from pharmaceutical innovators and sublicenses them to qualified generic manufacturers, enabling the production and supply of affordable versions of patented essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries. It also operates public patent information databases (MedsPaL, AccessPaL, LAPaL) and co-leads with WHO the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme to build regional vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Product overview
Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a UN-backed international public health organisation operating as a voluntary licensing and patent pooling mechanism. Its core offering consists of intellectual property management tools including the MedsPaL database for patent information, AccessPaL for tracking treatment access, and LAPaL for long-acting therapeutics. MPP facilitates voluntary licensing agreements with patent holders to enable generic manufacturing of essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries, focusing on disease areas including HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, cancer, and pandemic preparedness through its mRNA Technology Transfer Programme. The organisation's portfolio spans 44 licensed products through agreements with 22+ patent holders, covering antiretrovirals, direct-acting antivirals, long-acting technologies, and COVID-19 treatments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MedsPaL: Medicines Patents and Licences database - a free resource providing information on the intellectual property status of medicines, vaccines and health technologies for LMICs.
- AccessPaL
- LAPaL
- mRNA Technology Transfer Programme
Products and services
- MedsPaL (Medicines Patents and Licences Database) Free public database providing intellectual property status information for medicines, vaccines, and health technologies in low- and middle-income countries, covering 32,000+ patent applications for 208 health products across 203 jurisdictions.
- AccessPaL (Access to Medicines Tracker) Interactive tool that monitors access to HIV treatments beyond TLD, tracking quarterly availability of recently recommended treatment options in low- and middle-income countries.
- LAPaL (Long-Acting Therapeutics Database) Comprehensive database developed with the University of Liverpool covering the long-acting therapeutics landscape, including technologies, clinical trials, regulatory status, ease of administration, route of administration, and therapeutic-area classifications.
- mRNA Technology Transfer Programme Global initiative co-hosted with WHO to transfer mRNA vaccine manufacturing technology to LMIC manufacturers, with 13 partners trained and three (Biovac, Sinergium, Bio-E) producing first batches by 2025.
- Voluntary Licensing for Public Health Core public-health licensing mechanism through which patent holders grant voluntary licences to MPP, which sublicenses qualified generic manufacturers to produce and supply affordable generic essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries, covering 44 products through 22-23 patent-holder agreements.
Quantifiable outcome
- 62.14 billion doses supplied to 148 LMICs through licensees (2010-2025)
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Medicines Patent Pool
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Medicines Patent Pool technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Medicines Patent Pool partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
25 partnerships are on record, tiered major, strategic and core/flagship.
- RochemajorMPP and Roche signed license agreement to expand access to influenza treatment in low- and middle-income countries.
- Kenya BioVax InstitutestrategicSelected as one of six African countries in WHO and MPP mRNA Technology Transfer Programme. Will receive comprehensive end-to-end training in vaccine production. Kenya targeting domestic vaccine production by 2027 through $120 million World Bank-backed BioVax facility.
- SwiftPharmastrategicMOU for access-oriented licensing and transfer of plant-based technology to African manufacturers, contributing to regional bioproduction capacity and improved access to affordable prevention tools in LMICs.
- PATH (MADE Programme)strategicUnitaid programme MADE, led by PATH and receiving US$ 11 million, supports African companies in developing and scaling diagnostic test production for regional and global markets.
- USP (MedSuRe Africa Programme)strategicUnitaid programme MedSuRe Africa, led by USP with US$ 35.5 million, boosts production of essential medicines including HIV, malaria, and postpartum hemorrhage treatments, along with related quality testing infrastructure. MPP receives US$ 1.5 million for complementary work.
- Vizuri Health Dynamics FoundationstrategicMOU signed to catalyze investments and improve market efficiency to strengthen local pharmaceutical production in Africa. Aims to better understand the sector landscape, support licensing and technology transfer efforts, strengthen local and regional manufacturing capacity, and promote adoption of quality locally produced medicines.
- Indonesia Ministry of HealthstrategicMOU to improve access to vaccines and medicines in Indonesia. Goals include improving access to selected priority health products and strengthening local production of medicines and vaccines, including work through mRNA Technology Transfer Programme with BioFarma.
- BioFarma (Indonesian vaccine manufacturer)strategicIndonesian vaccine manufacturer participating in mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, working on domestic vaccine production capacity.
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM)strategicMOU to collaborate on policies facilitating global access to LSTM's intellectual property portfolio. Aims to integrate access-oriented clauses such as Affordable Access Plan (AAP) provisions in licenses for early-stage medical technologies.
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)strategicMOU to incorporate Affordable Access Plan provisions in early-stage licensing agreements and collaborate on design and implementation of access plans to facilitate access to vital new medicines worldwide.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG)strategicPartnership on 2024 report 'Voluntary Licensing: Right for Health, Smart for Business' showcasing how voluntary licensing advances global health while offering commercial advantages for biopharma companies. Co-funded by WIPO and Government of Canada.
- NovartismajorMPP agreement with Novartis enabled generic nilotinib for chronic myeloid leukaemia. 1.2 million capsules supplied to cancer patients in El Salvador, Indonesia, and Philippines by end of 2025.
- WHO (World Health Organization)core/flagshipMPP and WHO co-host the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, establishing the first mRNA vaccine manufacturing hub in South Africa. WHO and MPP collaborate on treatment guidelines, priority medicines listing, GAP-f pediatric formulations initiative, and pandemic preparedness. Letter of Intent signed with Afrigen, Biovac, SAMRC, and Africa CDC for COVID-19 vaccine tech transfer.
- Afrigencore/flagshipSouth African biotech company created Africa's first end-to-end mRNA production site with GMP certification (2026). Afrigen hosts the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme hub, transferring technology to 15 companies across Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Funded by 39 million euro grant (2021-2026). Competing for CEPI proposals for Ebola vaccine development.
- European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)strategicMOU for cooperation on IP (patents, technologies, and know-how) in health. Three axes: identifying mechanisms to encourage EU-funded beneficiaries to share IP with MPP; creating synergies through public health initiatives like ACT-Accelerator; and access to essential medicines.
- World Heart FederationstrategicMOU to work closely on promoting broader accessibility to quality, safe, effective, and affordable essential medicines for better cardiovascular health.
- International Diabetes Federation (IDF)strategicMOU to improve access to quality diabetes medicines in LMICs, expanding MPP's focus to non-communicable diseases.
- China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)strategicMOU to improve collaboration and information exchange for MPP sublicensees based in China. Ensures Chinese sublicensees can obtain Certificates of Pharmaceutical Products (COPPs) from NMPA.
- Medicines For All Institute (M4ALL)strategicMOU enabling LMICs to access essential medicines more quickly through reduced costs of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)strategicMOU signed to accelerate adoption of new treatments in developing countries. Collaboration to improve access to pediatric ARV formulations and more effective TB treatments, and explore other therapeutic areas of mutual interest.
- USAIDstrategicMOU to accelerate introduction of affordable new medicines affecting developing countries. Partnership through OPTIMIZE consortium, funded by PEPFAR.
- OtsukastrategicMOU to make delamanid more accessible to children with multi-drug resistant TB. Defined collaboration points including seeking funding for third-party development and potential sublicensing.
- ICAP Columbia UniversitystrategicMOU to improve access to HIV treatment in LMICs. Partnership through OPTIMIZE consortium to facilitate market entry and adoption of priority medicines.
- TB AlliancestrategicMOU to encourage development of new TB treatments and ensure availability in LMICs. Second MOU in 2017 for sutezolid development through third-party sublicensing.
- National Patent Offices (ARIPO, EAPO, EPO, and 15+ others)strategicCollaboration agreements with regional and national patent offices to share patent data for MedsPaL database, including ARIPO, EAPO, EPO, and offices in China, El Salvador, South Africa, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Medicines Patent Pool competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi): Non-profit R&D organization developing treatments for neglected diseases in LMICs. Comparable non-profit model, mission (access to essential medicines), and beneficiary population, though DNDi focuses on drug discovery/development rather than patent licensing for existing products.
- CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations): Funds vaccine development against emerging threats and partners with MPP/Afrigen on mRNA tech transfer. Most directly comparable peer in pandemic preparedness and LMIC manufacturing capacity-building, with overlapping partner network (Afrigen, Biovac, Sinergium).
Emerging players
- PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health): Global health non-profit leading Unitaid's MADE programme alongside MPP for African diagnostic manufacturing. Comparable LMIC health access focus and overlapping partner ecosystem, with broader product development scope.
- Access to Medicine Foundation: Non-profit that ranks pharmaceutical companies on access-to-medicine performance via the Access to Medicine Index. Comparable mission in incentivizing pharma access strategies, but operates through benchmarking/ranking rather than direct licensing.
- Knowledge Ecology International (KEI): Non-governmental organization focused on IP policy for access to medicines, advocating for compulsory licensing and pro-access IP reforms. Comparable mission (medicines access through IP reform) but operates through policy advocacy rather than licensing infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- WHO (World Health Organization): UN health agency that co-hosts MPP's mRNA tech transfer programme and recommends MPP-enabled treatments. Comparable LMIC health access mandate but operates at a much broader policy and normative level.
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Public-private partnership that finances vaccine access in lower-income countries. Comparable LMIC access mission and works alongside MPP's mRNA tech transfer program; differs in focusing on vaccine procurement/financing rather than IP licensing.
- Unitaid: MPP's founder and primary funder; a global health financing mechanism that invests in innovations to address HIV, TB, and malaria. Highly comparable in mission (access to medicines in LMICs) but operates as a funder/investor rather than as a patent pooling intermediary.
- WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization): UN agency that co-funds MPP's Voluntary Licensing Report and shares MPP's mandate on IP and public health. WIPO operates at a much broader policy level across all IP categories, while MPP specializes specifically in pharmaceutical patent pooling for LMIC access.
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Largest multilateral financing mechanism for HIV, TB, and malaria programs in LMICs; partners with MPP-licensed generic manufacturers for procurement. Comparable in disease focus and LMIC mandate but operates as a financing/procurement entity rather than IP intermediary.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Medicines Patent Pool social profiles
Digital presenceMedicines Patent Pool financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Medicines Patent Pool leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Medicines Patent Pool funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Medicines Patent Pool M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Medicines Patent Pool
What does Medicines Patent Pool do?
Medicines Patent Pool is a UN-backed public health organization that negotiates voluntary patent licences from pharmaceutical innovators and sublicenses them to qualified generic manufacturers, enabling the production and supply of affordable versions of patented essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries. It also operates public patent information databases (MedsPaL, AccessPaL, LAPaL) and co-leads with WHO the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme to build regional vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Is Medicines Patent Pool a public or private company?
Medicines Patent Pool is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Medicines Patent Pool founded?
Medicines Patent Pool was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Medicines Patent Pool based?
Medicines Patent Pool is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Medicines Patent Pool make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Unitaid Funding is the primary driver. The others are government and Philanthropic Funding.
Who are Medicines Patent Pool's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations). Emerging players are PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), Access to Medicine Foundation and Knowledge Ecology International (KEI). Broad incumbents are WHO (World Health Organization), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Unitaid, WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Does Medicines Patent Pool have an API?
No public API is recorded for Medicines Patent Pool.
What industry is Medicines Patent Pool in?
Medicines Patent Pool's product category is Public Health Patent Licensing and Access Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAA, Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management, with a secondary code of HLAIABAM, Generic Tender & Government Supply Markets. Its NAICS code is 533 and its SIC code is 6794.