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US supports waiving IP for COVID vaccines 6th May 2021 The Biden-Harris Administration has voiced support for waiving intellectual property protections for COVID vaccines, in the hope of ramping up access in low-income countries hit by the virus, marking a u-turn on the US initial opposition to the move. According to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontierès (MSF), which has applauded the move, the decision by the US government is “an important step towards global support for a World Trade Organization (WTO) waiver on IP”. “This could provide countries with new options to address the limitations of existing WTO rules and remove legal uncertainties and barriers that may impede production and supply of COVID-19 medical products in advance”. ....
May 06, 2021 × The real deal will be when negotiations eventually begin to frame the context within which waivers are allowed The public health universe has been abuzz ever since the US administration expressed its support to a waiver proposal on Covid-19 vaccines. The proposal initially made by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) involved temporarily suspending intellectual property (IP) on Covid-19 linked medicines, diagnostics and vaccines, for the pandemic period. And it still requires support from all other WTO members. ‘Clarity’ The “real deal”, though, will be when negotiations eventually begin to frame the context within which waivers are allowed and outlining for how long it would be allowed, say IP experts. Clarity is also required on whether this support is only for vaccines or for other health technologies as well. ....
US President Joe Biden. | Mandel Ngan/ AFP A group of over 170 world leaders and Nobel Prize winners have urged United States President Joe Biden to support a waiver proposing to suspend rules of intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments to boost global vaccination rates. India and South Africa had moved this proposal at the World Trade Organization in October. The letter, released to the media on Wednesday, said that the World Trade Organization’s waiver was important to bring an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. It said that the vaccine and related technology should be shared openly which can be done by the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Technology Access Pool. ....