Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

US move on vaccine intellectual property is a 'monumental moment' in COVID-19 fight

US move on vaccine intellectual property is a 'monumental moment' in COVID-19 fight

A waiver could boost production by lifting intellectual property protections and the EU is also now willing to discuss the move.

The head of the World Health Organization says the US backing of a proposed waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID vaccines is a "monumental moment" in the fight against the virus.

A waiver - which Europe's leaders say they are now also ready to discuss - could significantly boost vaccine production around the world by lifting patents, copyrights and protections for industrial design and confidential information.

This could mean easier access to vaccines for those in poorer and middle-income countries, many of whom have been at the back of the queue while others such as the US and UK have been able to vaccinate large numbers of their own people.


But there were warnings from the pharmaceutical industry about potential harm to future innovation as well as the safety of vaccines being produced in a potential free-for-all.

Sceptics also pointed to other issues such as the apparent unwillingness of some countries to export vaccines, and production supply, rather than patents, being to blame for shortages.

The issue of global access to vaccines has become more urgent with the surge of cases in India, the world's second-most populous country.

WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has repeatedly urged the world to support the waiver proposal, which was initially brought to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by India and South Africa in October last year.

After the announcement by the Biden administration, he said on Twitter: "This is a monumental moment in the fight against COVID-19.

"The commitment by (Joe Biden and US trade representative Katherine Tai) to support the waiver of IP protections on vaccines is a powerful example of United States leadership to address global health challenges."


More than 100 countries support the proposal and Mr Biden had been under growing pressure from a group within Congress - all fellow Democrats who backed the waiver.

European Commission president Ursula van der Leyen said the EU was "ready to discuss any proposals that address the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner".

"That's why we are ready to discuss how the US proposal for a waiver on intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines could help achieve that objective," she said.

France's President Emmanuel Macron said he was "very much in favour" of opening up intellectual property.

However, a French government official said it was lack of production capacity and components that was the problem rather than patents, adding: "It is the United States which has not exported a single dose to other countries and which is now talking about lifting the patents."

The UK government said in a statement that it was "working with WTO members to resolve this issue" and was in discussions with countries including the US to try to boost COVID vaccine production and supply.

Britain has previously encouraged knowledge sharing between industry and manufacturers, but stopped short of calling for IP waivers.

Those in favour of the move say it is already among the WTO's tools and there is no better time to use it than during a pandemic that has killed 3.2 million people, infected more than 400 million more, and ruined economies around the world.

Earlier Ms Tai said: "This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures.

"The administration's aim is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible."

But those against it say producing the vaccines is difficult and the process of vaccinating the world cannot be sped up simply by easing intellectual property laws.

Frankfurt-listed shares of Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax fell 5.2%, 8.2% and 10.1% respectively on Thursday, extending losses of up to 6% seen the previous day.

London-listed shares of AstraZeneca, which has sold its vaccine not-for-profit, did not move.

Adam John Ritchie, senior project manager and vaccine scientist at the Jenner Institute, was one of the key people involved in setting up manufacture for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

He said: "It feels like trying to fight the HIV drug battle all over again.

"The manufacturing of these vaccines is much more complex, thus tech transfer becomes more important.

"Supply chains are the real bottleneck right now anyway."

Dr Richard Torbett, who heads the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, told Sky's Ian King Live there were real concerns over safety in the event of a production free-for-all.

Both also said that lifting such intellectual property protections could hurt future innovation - companies can spend a lot of money researching such breakthroughs and they rely on the protections to make sure their work is not then copied by others for easy profit.

Ms Tai has also warned it will take time to reach the global consensus needed to waive the protections under WTO rules and officials have said any effect on vaccine supply will not be immediate.

Also on Wednesday, WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spoke to a gathering of ambassadors from developing and developed countries about the issue.

WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said the countries agree on the need for wider access to COVID-19 vaccines and a panel has been set up to discuss the proposal at a "tentative" meeting later this month before a formal gathering in early June.

A consensus could take some time but Mr Rockwell said there had been a recent change in tone after months of arguing, adding that the discussion was now "far more constructive, pragmatic".

"It was less emotive and less finger pointing than it had been in the past," he said.

"I think that this feeling of everyone-being-in-it-together was being expressed in a way that I had not heard to this point."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×