Daniel López joins Georgetown Law discussion on Intellectual Property, Access to Medicines and Health

On September 24, Thera Health Policy & Access brought a global health perspective to a discussion at Georgetown Law on intellectual property, access to medicines, equity and public health.

Daniel López, Senior Strategic Advisor – Global Health, Law, Policy & Regulation at Thera Health Policy & Access, returned to Georgetown Law on September 24, where he previously studied as an LL.M. student, this time as a guest panelist in the Global Health Law class.

Joining Agrata Sharma and Luis Gil Abinader, López participated in a discussion on Intellectual Property, Access to Medicines and Health, exchanging perspectives with students on the complex relationships between innovation, access, equity and public health.

Connecting intellectual property, innovation and access

Access to medicines sits at the intersection of multiple policy decisions. Intellectual property frameworks, incentives for innovation, regulatory systems, financing and health policy can all influence whether medical innovations ultimately translate into meaningful and equitable access for patients.

During the session, López shared his perspective on access to medicines, equity and public health, drawing on his experience in global health, law, policy and regulation, as well as on the work being developed at Thera Health Policy & Access.

The discussion also provided an opportunity to examine these issues from different geographic and institutional perspectives. For Thera, this is particularly relevant in the Latin American context, where improving access to health innovation requires not only considering the availability of new technologies, but also understanding the legal, regulatory, institutional and policy environments that shape how they reach health systems and patients.

From the classroom to global health practice

The session held particular significance for López, marking his return to a Georgetown Law classroom after having previously been there as an LL.M. student.

Returning as a guest panelist created an opportunity to connect academic discussion with the practical questions that emerge when working across health systems, institutions and countries.

“Returning to Georgetown Law, this time as a guest panelist, was a full-circle moment. It was a valuable opportunity to exchange perspectives on access to medicines, equity and public health, and to share some of the questions and challenges we are addressing through our work at Thera.”

The session was held at the invitation of Prof. Sarah L. Bosha and Prof. Olo Egbokhare.

For Thera Health Policy & Access, participating in academic and international conversations such as this one is part of our commitment to connecting evidence, law, policy and practice, bringing Latin American perspectives into global health discussions, and translating global debates into meaningful insights for the region.