How H-TAP works
COVID-19 laboratory testing in Afghanistan
To ensure that licensed health technologies can be effectively transferred, produced at scale, and meet global quality standards, HTAP engages across the full value chain for health products.
The HTAP Secretariat selects health technologies for building regional capacities to develop and manufacture health products, based on a business case assessment. This approach considers a technology’s expected public health impact, potential partnerships to take it forward, whether rights can be secured and the expected market and demand for the eventual products. Technologies are subsequently secured and recipients assessed, selected and supported.
HTAP supports recipients through activities, such as:
- Facilitating access to WHO’s network and expertise, including specialized help with regulation and prequalification, and registering medical products using the Collaborative Registration Procedure;
- Coordinating multipartner technology transfer support that includes training and aligns with other global health initiatives; and
- Providing advice on market access and demand.
Contact us for more details:
1/ Securing rights and know-how to support technology transfer and production
Where market-authorised products already exist, technologies are secured through licensing agreements developed in partnership with the Medicines Patent Pool. HTAP supports technology recipients, manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with scientific advice and technical assistance on technology transfer and production scale-up. To help ensure transfers are successful, HTAP works with partners to provide support on regulation, market shaping and demand generation.
Licensing model
/licensing-model.tmb-479v.png?sfvrsn=fc5e2919_1 "Licensing model")
2/ Facilitating partnerships to develop technologies
Where market-authorised products do not exist, HTAP supports partners to translate research and development (R&D) into products, tapping into their internal manufacturing capabilities, pairing them with a network of trusted industrial partners or bringing them into a R&D consortium.
Consortia (see figure) are based around centres for product development and know-how sharing, among partners with expertise in research, clinical development, acquiring know-how, innovation and technology transfer, as well as manufacturing partners.
R&D consortia model
/r-d-consortia-model.png?sfvrsn=fbe1c23e_1 "R&D consortia model")
How HTAP selects technologies to support
HTAP uses its ‘public health business case assessment’ to select technologies that address genuine public health problems and have a plausible pathway to development and market uptake. Technologies must be multipurpose to be selected. Through applicability to several diseases, they can both support pandemic preparedness while addressing immediate health priorities.
The programme identifies technologies based on unmet public health needs, guided by the WHO’s global disease priorities and through Member State consultations. The assessment examines whether technology can improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by addressing existing access gaps in devices, medicines, vaccines and assistive technologies. The figure outlines the 6 main components of the public health business case assessment.
/public-health-business-case-assessment-criteria.tmb-479v.png?sfvrsn=9e3bf7c2_1 "Public health business case assessment criteria")
HTAP value proposition
HTAP can provide or facilitate support throughout the value chain, covering research and development, licensing, quality assurance, regulation, demand creation and more.
HTAP brings together a range of WHO programmes and external partners to provide the right support at each stage of production, from end-to-end and considering the wider ecosystem. In the figure showing the areas of involvement for WHO, HTAP is especially involved in stages 1, 2 and 3, bringing in partners as needed to advise technology holders and recipients on all stages.
/who-end-to-end-role.png?sfvrsn=fe83f171_1 "WHO end to end role")
Through harnessing WHO’s unique expertise, convening power, mandate and partnerships, HTAP offers a range of advantages to technology holders, technology seekers and countries.
Technology holders
- Maintenance of standards due to careful selection of and support to sublicensees and technology partners
- Greater reach and impact of technologies – through sublicenses
- Increased revenues and recognition
Technology seekers
- Opportunity to grow business
- Time and money savings due to access to know-how and to WHO networks and expertise
- Enhanced R&D and innovation capabilities – through consortia
Countries
- Enhanced health security and pandemic preparedness
- Stronger regional capacity, with each country playing a different role – through consortia
- Greater investment attractiveness and economic development