When Pfizer and other major corporations drafted the rules that became the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS), they set global standards that still determine who gets affordable medicines and who doesn’t. Today, those rules are even more evident through the announcement of Trump's tariff deals.

Countries are rushing to Washington following the 2 April 2025 announcement of U.S. Reciprocal Tariffs seeking bilateral deals to shield their economies. But what do these free trade agreements demand and what will they mean for access to medicines in developing countries?

In this episode, Sanya Reid-Smith explains TRIPS and TRIPS-Plus in simple terms, with clear examples and figures: how compulsory licenses lowered hepatitis C treatment in Malaysia, how TRIPS-Plus rules could cost Colombia US$1.5 billion a year and how Australia’s trade deal with the U.S. became a warning case.

Transcripts in English and Spanish. 

Reading list to dive deeper into the subject.

Credits
Production: Third World Network Berhad
Audio editing: Guilherme Conde & Isadora Chamis
Soundtrack: Daniel Gómez Rico
Artwork: Ames Sia