The Court of Justice of the Andean Community has ruled in favor of Colombia’s decision to issue a compulsory license for an HIV medicine in 2022, affirming the government’s authority to take such public health measures.
The tribunal, which resolves trade, intellectual property, and labor disputes for Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, also confirmed that Colombia had properly justified the issuance of the license and set an appropriate expiration date.
Court Affirms Legal Compliance
In its ruling, the court stated that Colombia did not violate Andean regulations, as compulsory licenses are permissible under public interest grounds. The health ministry issued a statement noting,
“The court concluded that Colombia did not incur a breach of Andean regulations, since such measures are valid when there are reasons of public interest.”
The ministry further emphasized that Colombia fully met its obligation to determine the duration of the compulsory license for the medicine, which is manufactured by ViiV Healthcare.
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