Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge

Building a More Just and Equitable Medicine System for All

The Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) is a team of attorneys, scientists, and health experts building a more just and equitable medicines system for all. We work in the public’s interest to address structural inequities in how medicines are developed and distributed, and we envision a world in which people are able to get lifesaving medicines without excessive individual or social cost. 

I-MAK was founded in 2006 by two lawyers with expertise in intellectual property law and health justice, Tahir Amin and Priti Krishtel, to focus on how to build a more equitable and just system for medicines. The organization grew out of their successful activism to ensure that patent monopolies did not stand in the way of generic HIV/AIDS drugs saving lives worldwide. 

As veterans of the global access to medicines movement for nearly 20 years, we have come to understand that re-imagine the outdated  patent system in the United States is a critical component of any strategy to improve health outcomes, both nationally and globally. With this at the center, we have created a framework at I-MAK that integrates deep analytical research, stakeholder informed collaboration, and a voice in the media to activate change through education. At I-MAK, we believe: 

• Structural inequities are found at every level of an outdated medicines system and lead to millions of people worldwide who are suffering or losing their lives. 
• The current design of the medicines system prioritizes private interests over public good. 
• People who are most affected should be at the table shaping solutions.

Currently, we face a global health crisis that impacts us all; there are over 2 billion people around the world without access to medicine and only one in three people in the United States can afford to take their medicines as prescribed.

Now more than ever, we are at a catalytic moment to advance solutions for actionable change. Central to our work as an organization is combining practical application of the law with evidence-based analysis: it guides every other aspect of our work, including the policy solutions we develop, technical support we give policymakers and stakeholders, and communications to drive a narrative for patent reform. We are adding capacity to our organization to meet these needs and are looking for a dynamic legal professional looking to change the power structures that maintain the status quo. Join us!

I-MAK is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, non-governmental organization based in the United States and working globally.