Pandemic benefits threaten global COVID-19 vaccination efforts

On April 12, 1955, the results of the largest clinical trial in history were announced. Nearly two million children, called the Francis Field Trial, have helped test a new polio vaccine that has proven to be very effective in preventing infections.

That same day, an interview with Jonas Salk, a senior researcher at the Vaccine Project, was aired. In an interview, Soak was asked who owns the polio vaccine patent, and he famously replied: There is no patent. Can I get a patent for the sun? “

This quote is often cited as the highest benchmark of humanitarian innovation for capitalist profits, but as in most cases, the truth behind the quote was a bit vague. Recent scholarships suggest Lawyers at the time actually tried to patent the vaccine, but in the end it was only the unique peculiarities of its development that prevented more direct capitalization.

Decades after this iconic 20th-century achievement, and overcoming a new traumatic pandemic, patent and vaccine ownership issues once again raise the ugly head. Last year, questions about intellectual property rights in vaccine development were largely fictitious. The goal was simply to develop a new vaccine to save lives. Questions about manufacturing, distribution, and who owns what may come later.

By the end of 2020, several effective vaccines had been developed in the wonder of scientific ingenuity. Now, months after 2021, the gap between the rich and the poor has become apparent.

Most developed countries are rapidly immunizing their populations, so poor areas have not even seen single doses yet. 1 Prediction suggests In some parts of the world, vaccination levels for the entire population will not be reached until 2024.

Pre-purchase agreements have led high-income countries to order billions of vaccines.For example, the United States has already purchased Hundreds of millions of doses That’s what you need. These doses have not yet been manufactured and provided, but in many parts of the world, locals will become dependent on charitable donations of vaccines from richer countries if they want to be vaccinated immediately. ..

So why can’t we make more vaccines?

Indeed, there are many complex factors that impede global manufacturing capacity. From limited vaccine ingredients to technical complexity, the problem is not as simple as “make more vaccines.”

But there is another problem that impedes global vaccine supply, a problem that Jonas Salk managed to avoid decades ago. Intellectual property, patents, and the global pharmaceutical industry.

In early March, more than 100 countries joined forces to argue that the intellectual property protection of the COVID-19 vaccine needs to be temporarily exempted. This proposal was discussed at a recent World Trade Organization conference and was eventually thwarted.

Stumble on TRIPS

The idea first emerged in October last year when South Africa and India offered a bid to abandon an agreement known as TRIPS (Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Ownership). The proposal argued that intellectual property rights to the COVID-19 vaccine hampered poor countries’ ability to start local production of the vaccine.

Since October, there have been more than eight formal discussions on temporary TRIPS exemptions. The proposal has been endorsed by the majority of WTO countries, but no agreement could be reached after several hours of discussion in early March. Further discussions are scheduled for April and June.

TRIPS exemption blocked By a small but powerful coalition of Western nations. The United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, and some European countries all opposed this proposal.

Opponents of the TRIPS exemption have suggested that this particular intellectual property protection does not impede global vaccine supply. Instead, it was a broader resource hurdle that slowed vaccine production. Eliminating intellectual property protection does little but undermine the prospects for private innovation during times of future crisis.

Talk to conversationRonald Labonte, a Canadian public health expert, claims that the world has significant undeveloped manufacturing capacity, which is directly hampered by intellectual property protection. Labonte also states that a few countries that oppose the TRIPS exemption are also wealthy countries already served by the vaccine purchase agreement.

“Most of them already have many unique bilateral vaccines and pre-purchase agreements, so they took care of them,” says Labonte. “Their claim is that the flexibility of existing TRIPS for compulsory enforcement or parallel imports is sufficient. Also, patent holders issue voluntary licenses to other manufacturers and negotiate prices. In fact, many people do so with many other vaccine makers. “

The argument that supply issues are a broader issue of manufacturing technology and raw materials, not intellectual property issues, was summarized by the WTO representative in the United Kingdom as follows: Official statement I returned in October. The statement questioned the benefits of temporarily abandoning the TRIPS Agreement.

“The waiver of intellectual property rights under the TRIPS Agreement is an extreme means of addressing unproven issues. In the UK, pursuing the proposed path is counterproductive and an immediate issue. The view is that it will undermine the regime to provide a solution to the COVID-19 vaccine. There are several factors that need to be considered in order for everyone to have fair access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Enhancing manufacturing and distribution capabilities, measures to support or encourage technology transfer, keeping the global supply chain open, and ensuring that IP and know-how are voluntarily shared using effective platforms. It is included.”

Many who seek a temporary waiver of COVID-related intellectual property rights have realistically admitted that this is not a single magic bullet that will immediately increase the world’s vaccine supply. In a letter of support, World Health Organization Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreez revealed that the TRIPS exemption is one of many actions that can help poorer countries access the vaccine. I am.

“… It doesn’t happen to boost the manufacturing industry.” Tedros says.. “We are living an extraordinary moment in history and must face the challenge. Dose sharing, technology transfer, voluntary licensing, or voluntary licensing recommended by WHO’s unique COVID-19 Technology Access Pool Initiative. Whether it is the waiver of intellectual property rights suggested by South Africa or India, we must take all steps. “

Price competition with idol factories

these days Associated Press Report All idle factories in India, South Africa and Denmark are waiting for data and license agreements from pharmaceutical companies. The report suggests that these particular factories could start producing hundreds of millions of vaccines as soon as the rights-holding company permits production.

Manufacturing resources may be waiting for a license agreement, but pharmaceutical companies are still profit-driven beasts, and even the most charitable companies are for-profit.

For example, Pfizer recently announced that it will not extend its vaccine production capacity beyond the currently established supply lines in the United States and Europe. India, a country with huge drug manufacturing capabilities, has been discussing with Pfizer for several weeks, Recent reports suggested The company was not satisfied with the country’s restrictions on pricing and exports.

When Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is manufactured in India, the company must control the vaccine delivery address and pricing.

“At this time, we are not discussing additional local production of this vaccine,” a Pfizer spokeswoman said. Said recently.. “Once the pandemic supply phase is over and the normal supply phase is over, Pfizer will definitely evaluate all the additional opportunities available.”

What is the “pandemic supply stage”?

The pandemic supply phase is a series of informal pledges from pharmaceutical companies that promise to keep the price of the COVID-19 vaccine low during the pandemic.

Oxford / AstraZeneca Vaccine Manufacturer Was one of the only companies Explicitly pledge to sell the dose at cost during and after the pandemic. Pfizer, on the other hand, has not made a similar pledge.

Reshma Ramachandran, a Yale University Physician Fellow, believes that Pfizer may already be considering raising vaccine prices by 2022.

“Pfizer recently told investors soon next year [when booster vaccinations will be required] They will move from a “pandemic price” to $ 150 or $ 175 per dose, at a price comparable to other vaccines on the market. ” Ramachandran says.. “When an insurance company has to bear this cost, they will pass it on to us through our premiums.”

Unfortunately, the nature of large-scale pharmaceutical development in the 21st century means that solving this intellectual property problem is not easy. Mosoka Fallah of Harvard Medical School briefly explains why these intellectual property protections cannot be completely eliminated without seriously damaging future development prospects.

“… the pitfalls of this allow us to give them IP, and if there is another outbreak tomorrow, do they have an incentive to do research?” Farah asks.. “So an important opportunity to think about is how to meet these countries along the way and find a way to fund some research and development.”

Farah’s solution includes a temporary TRIPS exemption, but also relies on making ethical decisions about how developed countries distribute their accumulated vaccine doses. Overall, it is possible that sufficient vaccine doses are currently being manufactured to be distributed to everyone on the planet without extreme years of delay. We need to act rationally and distribute fairly.

He argues that all high-income countries storing doses should share their vaccines around. And beyond ethical debate, he suggests that it is in everyone’s interest to quell this pandemic in every corner of the world.

COVID-19 is a global issue. Borders cannot remain closed forever. The most effective public health strategy for everyone is to ensure that the vaccine is evenly distributed.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, suggests that mutant strains of the virus will continue to emerge if vaccination is not considered a global issue. Fauci argues that vaccination of as many people as possible, as soon as possible, in as many countries as possible should be a priority.

“Conclusion: You need to vaccinate not just in your own country, but all over the world.” Fauci says.. “Otherwise there will be another threat each year as more mutants will come.”