NIH is proposing to develop and implement a new policy within the NIH’s Intramural Research Program, the internal research arm of the agency. The policy would require organizations partnering with NIH through a patent licensing agreement that succeed in bringing certain products to market to submit a plan outlining steps they intend to take to promote patient access to any resulting drug, biologic, vaccine, or device. NIH seeks input on this draft policy and accompanying draft license agreement language that incorporates patient access in the commercialization process for NIH-owned inventions.

NIH will use the responses to this request for information to develop a final policy. Comments on the proposed policy must be submitted at: https://osp.od.nih.gov/comment-form-draft-nih-intramural-research-program-policy-promoting-equity-through-access-planning.  Comments must be received by July 22, 2024.

In addition, NIH will be hosting an informational webinar on the proposed policy on June 11, 2024.  More information on the agenda and how to register will be provided shortly.

For additional context on the benefits of access planning, please see NIH’s 2023 Workshop on Transforming Discoveries into Products: Maximizing NIH’s Levers to Catalyze Technology Transfer.

Questions may be sent to SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov.

This post originated on the NIH Office for Science Policy website and has been cross-posted for greater visibility.