Last Thursday, Yale’s chapter of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) projected an image onto the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library as part of its drive for university-driven drug pricing reform. This act, while symbolic in intent, violated University policy regarding projections on Beinecke Plaza. The projection aimed to call attention to the University’s role in ensuring that drugs developed using public funds are both affordable and accessible to the public.
The Symbolic Protest
The Projection and Its Message
The projection, featuring a striking image of an eye with a pill as its iris, was part of UAEM’s participation in Access to Medicines Week—a series of global events aimed at addressing healthcare access inequities. For the leaders of UAEM, this event was a call to action against what they perceive as the University’s corporate-first approach to drug licensing and patenting. Simona Hausleitner ’25, the founder and president of UAEM’s Yale chapter, emphasized the public’s burden of paying twice for their medications—once through taxes and again through inflated prices. She highlighted that many pharmaceutical products, initially researched and developed through publicly funded universities, end up with exorbitant price tags once they hit the market, making them unattainable for many in need.
Hausleitner underscored the need for universities to prioritize the public good when licensing their research outputs, maintaining clinical trial transparency, and pushing for fair patent laws that do not favor corporate profits over the needs of people. The projection of the eye onto the Beinecke Library served as a visual call to action, akin to a symbolic “Batman logo,” critiquing Yale’s practices in patenting and licensing, portraying them as prioritizing corporate profit over public access. This bold, visual metaphor was chosen to make the public acutely aware of the pressing issue at hand and to invoke a sense of urgency regarding the need for changes in the University’s licensing policies.
The Impact and Justification
Hausleitner justified the decision to breach university policy for the projection, arguing that the impact of such actions is stronger when taken without prior permission. She likened it to a form of protest that historically asks for forgiveness rather than permission. The projection was not the only aim but served as a significant tool to capture attention and highlight the UAEM’s stance on the pressing issue of drug accessibility. This stance pushes against what UAEM members perceive as a disconnect between the University’s broader goals of fostering public welfare through research and its actual practices that seem to prioritize financial returns.
The projection lasted for 16 minutes and 45 seconds, during which a Yale Security officer approached the group and asked them to take it down, to which they complied. This swift compliance emphasizes the non-adversarial nature of their protest. Sahil Mane ‘24, part of UAEM’s North America Coordinating Committee and co-founder of Yale’s UAEM chapter, designed the logo and set up the projection. Mane argued that the projection was not meant to be adversarial but rather a gentle reminder to the University about their licensing practices. He stressed that the aim was to initiate dialogue and reflection among the University’s authorities and the public on their role and responsibilities in ensuring access to life-saving medicines developed using public funds.
The Role of Public Funding
Government Funds and University Obligations
UAEM argues that many drugs developed at the university depended heavily on government funds, particularly from sources like the National Institutes of Health. With significant public investment underwriting the research, they believe that these drugs should be made affordable for the very public that indirectly funded their development. This viewpoint invokes a sense of moral obligation—arguing that entities benefiting from public money should ensure that their derived products are accessible to the public. The debate centers around the ethical responsibility that universities have when their research, funded by taxpayer money, is monopolized by corporate entities for profit-maximizing purposes once it becomes a marketable product.
Hausleitner justified the decision to breach university policy for the projection, asserting that impactful actions often speak louder when carried out without prior consent. By sidestepping formal permissions, they intended to grab immediate attention and evoke an urgent call to action. She likened it to a form of protest that historically asks for forgiveness rather than permission. The strategy, in essence, is rooted in the belief that civil acts of dissent can sometimes cut through bureaucratic red tape to bring urgent issues to the forefront of public discourse.
The Projection Event
The projection lasted 16 minutes and 45 seconds, during which a Yale Security officer approached the group and asked them to take it down, to which they complied. This event showcased the balancing act between lawful protest and civil disobedience as a tool for social change. The projection’s design was a collective effort, spearheaded by Mane, who emphasized its symbolism rather than its potential to antagonize. Mane’s statement highlighted that the intent behind the projection was to act as a gentle, visual nudge for the University, urging them to reflect on their current practices and consider the broader implications of their licensing agreements.
UAEM is using this week of heightened awareness to request that Yale Ventures—the University’s tech transfer office—issue a public progress report on how well they’ve adhered to the promises made in their 2009 agreement related to equitable licensing of medical technologies. This document, known as the Statement of Principles and Strategies for the Equitable Dissemination of Medical Technologies, was endorsed by multiple institutions, including Yale, and outlines their commitments to promoting global health needs through innovative licensing strategies, reducing patent barriers, and offering financial incentives to licensees to ensure the affordability of health-related technologies.
The 2009 Agreement and Its Promises
The Statement of Principles
The Statement of Principles and Strategies for the Equitable Dissemination of Medical Technologies was a significant commitment made by Yale and other leading institutions. The document highlights their strategic vision for addressing global health disparities through fair and innovative licensing practices. It underscores the role of universities in ensuring that their research translates into tangible benefits for society, particularly for under-resourced populations. By advocating for reduced patent barriers and incentivizing affordable health technologies, the principles aim to strike a balance between encouraging innovation and enhancing accessibility.
UAEM is calling for this heightened awareness week to serve as a timely reminder for Yale Ventures to publicize a detailed progress report on their adherence to the commitments outlined in the 2009 document. The transparency sought by UAEM reflects growing demands for public accountability in how institutions manage and disseminate technologies developed via public investments. Mane emphasized that UAEM is calling for transparency and public accountability from Yale Ventures regarding their commitment to equitable access. They seek a detailed report outlining how well Yale has maintained these principles and executed their strategies to ensure that medical technologies benefit underserved populations effectively and efficiently.
Commitments and Strategies
This document outlines commitments for promoting global health needs through innovative licensing strategies, reducing patent barriers, and offering financial incentives to licensees to ensure the affordability of health-related technologies. One of the core aspects of the document calls for meaningful metrics to measure progress, promoting the sharing of best practices among institutions to address emerging challenges and opportunities. By embedding such practical strategies, the hope is to create an environment where essential medicines and health-related technologies are accessible to those who need them the most, irrespective of geographic or economic barriers.
Mane emphasized that UAEM is calling for transparency and public accountability from Yale Ventures regarding their commitments from the 2009 document. The call for such a report is founded on the belief that through transparency, universities can reinforce their mission of public service and demonstrate their contributions towards addressing global health inequities. The principles laid out in the 2009 agreement are not just lofty ideals but actionable commitments that require diligent follow-up and open communication to ensure that the intended outcomes are achieved.
Yale Ventures’ Response
Affirmation of Commitment
In a statement to the News, Yale Ventures affirmed their adherence to the Statement of Principles and Strategies for the Equitable Dissemination of Medical Technologies. They cited annual reports and other progress documentation as evidence of their commitment to equitable access. The reports are meant to provide a transparent account of their actions and progress in making health-related technologies accessible. Furthermore, Yale Ventures detailed their specific strategy of committing a percentage of sales to low-income and lower-middle-income countries, showcasing their efforts in offering products at significantly reduced prices to ensure access, and limiting the ability of licensees to file patents in these regions—steps that are pivotal in broadening the availability of essential medicines in areas that are most in need.
The Call for Transparency
UAEM’s drive for accountability did not go unnoticed, as many eyes are now on Yale’s actions in the aftermath of the projection. Despite UAEM’s breach of university policy with their projection, the symbolic act underscores the urgency and importance of equitable access to medications, aligning with global initiatives to address healthcare disparities. Global health inequities remain a prominent issue, and this event reaffirmed the need for institutions to uphold their ethical commitments.
Summarizing, the event organized by UAEM at Yale highlights their mission to make university-developed drugs more accessible and affordable, ensuring that public funding for research translates into public benefit rather than corporate profit. The projection served not just as a form of protest but as a call for accountability and transparency from the University. This deliberate and impactful display was intended to make a lasting impression on both the University administration and the public, pushing for tangible changes in how drugs are priced and accessed.
Global Perspective
UAEM’s Global Mission
Globally, UAEM chapters focus on similar missions, encompassing a total of 51 chapters around the world. These chapters are unified in their efforts to advocate for a fair and transparent approach to the licensing and dissemination of medical technologies. The overarching themes from this incident at Yale center around the need for universities like Yale to uphold their public commitments to equitable licensing practices. The global mission of UAEM is to ensure that public investments in research yield public benefits, especially in regions where access to medicines is limited. This movement taps into broader discussions about social justice, health equity, and the role of academic institutions in fostering a fairer world.
The Broader Message
Last Thursday, Yale’s chapter of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) took a bold step in advocating for university-driven drug pricing reform by projecting a powerful image onto the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. This projection, intended to spotlight the university’s responsibility in making drugs developed with public funds both affordable and accessible, was symbolic but simultaneously breached Yale’s policy prohibiting such projections on Beinecke Plaza. UAEM’s action aimed to raise awareness about the critical need for transparent and ethical drug pricing practices, emphasizing the university’s significant role in ensuring that innovations born from publicly funded research benefit everyone. Their effort sought to underline the principle that medications developed in academic settings should not be priced beyond the reach of the public that funded their creation. UAEM’s projection was a call to action, urging the university to adopt policies that prioritize public welfare and make essential drugs available at reasonable prices, reflecting a commitment to social responsibility and equity in healthcare.
