Isaac Kundakogo Kunko
Doctoral Student and Junior Research Fellow
Intellectual Property and Competition Law
+49 89 24246-5314
isaac.kunko(at)ip.mpg.de
Areas of Interest:
Competition Law, Intellectual Property Law, Pharmaceutical Law, Regulation & Policy, Unfair Competition Law
Academic Resumé
Since 08/2019
Doctoral Student and Junior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Josef Drexl, LL.M (Berkeley)
2014 – 2015
LL.M. (Intellectual Property and Competition Law), Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC)
2013 – 2016
Professional Law Studies, Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana
2011 – 2013
Post First Degree Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
2003 – 2007
Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Work Experience
2017 – 2019
Part time Law Lecturer at Wisconsin International University College, Accra, Ghana
2016 – 2019
Lawyer at AB Lexmall & Associates, Accra, Ghana
03 – 05/2017
Part time Law Lecturer at KAAF University College, Accra, Ghana
09 – 12/2016
Part time Law Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana
2010 – 2015
Pharmacist, Ghana Health Service
2009 – 2010
Superintendent Pharmacist, Jinlet Pharmacy Ltd, Accra, Ghana
2008
Intern Pharmacist, CS Allot Pharmacy Ltd, Accra & Ridge Hospital, Accra
Scholarships
2014 — 2015
MIPLC Alumni Scholarship
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Scholarship, LL.M (Intellectual Property and Competition Law)
Memberships
Publications
Journal Articles
The Search for Originality in the Copyright Regime of Ghana - An Analysis of the case of Pearson Education Ltd v. Adzei, University of Ghana Students Law Journal 5 (2013), 85.
Research Papers
The Regulation of the Distribution of Pharmaceuticals and Its Impact on Access to Medicines in Ghana (MIPLC Master Thesis Series, 2014/15), 2015, 78
- Access to pharmaceuticals as curative or therapeutic agents is a main determinant of the efficiency and quality of a health care system. The overall outcome of a medical intervention often depends largely on the success of the pharmaceutical regimen. Globally, efforts have been made to ensure the availability of drugs in developing countries through the TRIPs flexibilities. Beyond these interventions, the regulation of the distribution of the medicines within the beneficiary countries can negatively affect access of consumers to these drugs. Where a health insurance system exists, high drug prices are not a problem of the individual patient, but still a problem that entails huge social costs.
The distribution of drugs has a great influence on access to drugs by the patient. Accessibility to essential medicines depends on availability, accessibility and acceptability of the essential medicines on the market and whether the patients who need these medicines can afford to purchase them. Access to drugs is affected by laws that regulate the various aspects of distribution, intellectual property related rights like patents and to some extent trade marks. Ghana regulates the distribution of drugs through different sector laws. These laws govern the importation, sale, advertising, prescribing and dispensing of drugs to patients. Ghana imports about 70 percent of its drug needs. Most of these imported drugs are generic drugs. The laws governing the distribution of drugs determine whether the drugs can easily be made available on the market and whether the quality, safety and efficacy will meet the required standard.
The thesis will access both non-intellectual property and intellectual property laws and policies that relate to the distribution of drugs. It will argue that the laws and policy guidelines that govern the distribution of medicines in Ghana adversely affect the availability, accessibility and affordability of medicines. - Available at SSRN