Investment treaty disputes in the life sciences Industry

In its global scale and economic impact, the life sciences industry presents unique considerations for investment treaty arbitrations. The covid-19 pandemic has pushed the life sciences industry even further to the forefront of international commerce. The race to develop and test vaccines and therapeutics, the extent of state support for research and procurement, and the global competition for access to limited supplies of personal protective equipment, diagnostics, treatments and then vaccines has highlighted the interconnected nature of the industry and the significance of government policy and regulation. Although the life sciences industry has not been a prominent contributor of investment treaty arbitrations in the past, we expect to see more of this activity in the future as the industry continues to evolve. In this chapter, Greg Bell, Andrew Tepperman, and Justin Ho focus on notable aspects of the life sciences industry and the issues that they may raise for investment treaty arbitrations.