REMEDIUMREMEDIUM1561-59362658-3534Joint-Stock Company Chicot186010.32687/1561-5936-2026-30-1-40-44Original ArticleCompulsory Licensing in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The African ExperienceMamedovDevi D.ofc.d.mamedov@gmail.comSaint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia30032026301404423032026Copyright © 2026,2026The article presents a systematic analysis of the practical application of compulsory licensing and government use of patents in the pharmaceutical sector, drawing on the experiences of Zimbabwe and Rwanda. It examines the legal frameworks, implementation of measures to ensure access to antiretroviral medicines, and associated challenges—including administrative complexity, shortages of resources for establishing local production, and external political pressure. The study demonstrates that the effectiveness of these mechanisms depends not so much on the normative legal framework as on the availability of technological, human, and political resources. The findings may inform improvements to Russian legislation, particularly with regard to refining mechanisms for using patented inventions without the consent of the rights holder.compulsory licensingTRIPS AgreementDoha Declarationmedicinal productsHIV/AIDSpatent lawZimbabweRwandaAfricareviewпринудительное лицензированиеСоглашение по торговым аспектам прав интеллектуальной собственностиДохинская декларациялекарственные средстваВИЧ/СПИДпатентное правоЗимбабвеРуандаАфрикаобзор[Li Z., Guo P. Compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals during public health crisis: a TRIPS framework analysis. Front Public Health. 2025;13:1630586. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1630586][Narkievich I. A., Fisenko V. S., Golant Z. M., et al. Fundamentals of establishing a unified harmonized system of regulatory legal framework for the circulation of medicinal products manufactured by pharmacy organizations. Saint Petersburg; 2023. 292 p. (In Russ.)][Khor M. Compulsory license and "government use" to promote access to medicines: some examples. Penang; 2014.][Akpotaire U. B. HIV and AIDS in Africa: compulsory licensing under TRIPS and Doha Declaration. SSRN Electron J. 2010. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1719555][Love J. P. Recent examples of the use of compulsory licenses on patents. Knowledge Ecology International. 2007;(2).][Sacco S. F. A comparative study of the implementation in Zimbabwe and South Africa of the international law rules that allow compulsory licensing and parallel importation for HIV/AIDS drugs. Afr Hum Rights Law J. 2005;5(1):105—128.][Solovy E. M. The Doha Declaration at twenty: interpretation, implementation, and lessons learned on the relationship between the TRIPS agreement and global health. Nw J Int Law Bus. 2021;42:253. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3965053][Davies L. Compulsory licensing: an effective tool for securing access to COVID-19 vaccines for developing states? Leg Stud. 2023;43(1):86—103.][Cohen-Kohler J. C., Esmail L. C., Cosio A. P. Canada's implementation of the Paragraph 6 Decision: is it sustainable public policy? Global Health. 2007;3(1):12.][Elliott R. Delivering on the pledge: global access to medicine, WTO rules, and reforming Canada's law on compulsory licensing for export. McGill Int J Sust Dev Law Policy. 2007;3:23.]['t Hoen E. F. M. The global politics of pharmaceutical monopoly power. Diemen; 2009.][Rimmer M. Race against time: the export of essential medicines to Rwanda. Public Health Ethics. 2008;1(2):89—103.][Cotter C. The implications of Rwanda's Paragraph 6 Agreement with Canada for other developing countries. Loy U Chi Int Law Rev. 2007;5:177.][Forcier M. B., Morin J. F. Chapter 5. Canadian pharmaceutical patent policy: international constraints and domestic priorities. In: An Emerging Intellectual Property Paradigm. Cheltenham; 2008. doi: 10.4337/9781848445024.00012]