In this episode of Make Medicines Affordable, our host Tracy Swan speaks with Othmane Marrakchi, Advocacy Lead at ITPC MENA, about filing the first patent opposition in Morocco and challenging a patent on baricitinib to open the door to affordable generic versions. They discuss what it takes to challenge a pharmaceutical patent, the lessons learned from testing this legal mechanism in Morocco, and why the work matters beyond a single medicine.

Morgane Ahmar, Monitoring and Evaluation and Strategic Communications Manager for the Make Medicines Affordable campaign, then looks at the bigger picture: 150 patent oppositions filed since 2014, 48 successful outcomes, and hundreds of millions of dollars in estimated savings. The conversation highlights how coordinated patent challenges and collaboration across countries can help expand access to affordable medicines.