Global drugmakers condemned on Wednesday an initiative by four World Trade Organization members to introduce an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, saying it could undermine the industry's ability to respond to health crises in future.
The United States, the European Union, India and South Africa reached consensus on Tuesday on key elements for a long-sought waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, according to a proposed text seen by Reuters. "Biopharmaceutical companies reaffirm their position that weakening patents now when it is widely acknowledged that there are no longer supply constraints of COVID-19 vaccines, sends the wrong signal," said Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.
He said the global pharmaceuticals industry was producing more than 1 billion vaccine doses a month, thanks to collaboration within the legal patent protection framework, and the focus should shift from production to distributing shots in poorer nations.
It should be waved, thousands of people around the world rely on their vaccines, but have no money to buy them.
Drug companies say this sends the wrong message. To who? It sends a great message to me. Who do you think paid for the invention of these drugs, who do you think acted as guinea pigs in the testing, who do you think put up with government crap, you guessed it...ME
Business Business Latest News, Business Business Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Read more »