Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is planning to tie up with Centre for Management of Intellectual property in Health Research (MIHR), UK in the area of intellectual property development in health sector.

The benefits for India include capability building in the area of intellectual property rights and technology management that helps in the negotiation of international agreement in the transfer of health technology and the development of appropriate institutional IP policies that will help to put more health technologies into the public health system in India.

The MIHR is a UK based charity that aims to promote development of new Intellectual Property and health technologies for the overall social and economic benefit of the poor countries. The MIHR already has similar partnership with the Medical Council of South Africa and is associated with several such health related technology development activities amongst various developing countries.

The MIHR is supported by many international agencies like the Rockfeller Foundation. The MIHR has strong expertise and resources for intellectual property management in health, which helps to optimise the development of new products in health care delivery system through innovative intellectual property management. The MIHR has also demonstrated capability in training of technology transfer professionals in health and has been undertaking such programmes in human resource development in Africa and South East Asia for several years.

The ICMR is yet to enter into a formal relationship with the MIHR.