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UK lawmakers call for PM Johnson to publish big pharma lobbying messages
FILE PHOTO: Britain s Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives media interviews as he visits Hartlepool United Football Club ahead of the May 6 by-election, Hartlepool, Britain, April 23, 2021. Ian Forsyth/Pool via REUTERS reuters tickers
This content was published on April 26, 2021 - 01:36
April 26, 2021 - 01:36
By James Davey
LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - British lawmakers on Monday called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines.
The United States and a handful of other big countries, including the United Kingdom, have blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) involving a proposal spearheaded by India and South Africa that now has the support of 100 WTO members.
Photo: Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto/AFP
The US and a handful of other big countries, including the UK, have blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) involving a proposal spearheaded by India and South Africa that now has the support of 100 WTO members.
The proposal would temporarily waive the intellectual property (IP) rights of pharmaceutical companies, to allow developing countries to produce vaccines.
The waiver is opposed by the US Chamber of Commerce and big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
A cross-party group of UK lawmakers has signed a statement calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, ministers, and senior civil servants to publish all email, text, and WhatsApp messages exchanged with pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists.
British lawmakers on Monday called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for Covid-19 vaccines.
Calls In UK To Publish Pharma Lobbying Messages As India WTO Move Blocked Calls In UK To Publish Pharma Lobbying Messages As India WTO Move Blocked The UK was one of the biggest donors to Covax to ensure global access to vaccines and continued to encourage manufacturers to provide their vaccines on a not-for-profit, transparent basis.
Boris Johnson gives media interviews as he visits Hartlepool United Football Club (File)
London:
British lawmakers on Monday called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines.