European Union leaders have said that in the wake of the US backing patent waivers for Covid-19 vaccine technology, the 27-nation bloc will discuss whether they should join such a move.
The leaders’ first opportunity to establish a common view will come as soon as a two-day summit in Porto, Portugal, that starts on Friday.
While many insist that waiving patents would only go part of the way towards making vaccines available and probably in the mid-term only, French President Emmanuel Macron said he “completely” supports opening up intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines as “a global public good”.
At the same time, Mr Macron insisted that the immediate priority for wealthier countries should be first donating more vaccine doses to poorer countries.
GENEVA France joined the United States on Thursday in supporting an easing of patent and other protections on COVID-19 vaccines that could help poorer countries get more doses and speed the end of the pandemic. While the backing from two countries with major drug makers is important, many obstacles remain. The move to support waiving intellectual property protections on vaccines under World Trade Organization rules marked a dramatic shift for the United States and drew cheers from activists, complaints from Big Pharma, and a lot of questions about what comes next. Washington had previously lined up with many other developed nations opposed to the idea floated by India and South Africa in October.
By Syndicated Content
May 5, 2021 5:22 PM
GENEVA (Reuters) â The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations said on Wednesday that U.S. President Joe Bidenâs support for waiving patents of COVID-19 vaccines was âthe wrong answerâ to a complex problem and called for more technology transfer agreements.
The Geneva-based IFPMA, which represents research-based pharmaceutical companies, said in a statement: âWaiving patents of COVID-19 vaccines will not increase production nor provide practical solutions needed to battle this global health crisis. On the contrary, it is likely to lead to disruption.â
The real challenges are trade barriers, bottlenecks in supply chains, scarcity of raw materials, and âwillingness by rich countries to start sharing doses with poor countriesâ, it said.
US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced support for a global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, offering hope to poor nations that have struggled to access the life-saving doses.