WTO talks on waiver of IP protection for Covid-19 vaccines likely to be heated

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On Thursday, the EU signalled a willingness to take part in the negotiations, as shares of European vaccine makers tumbled

Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Vienna, Austria, April 30 2021. Picture: REUTERS/LEONHARD FOEGER

The WTO’s General Council meets again on Thursday, though any final agreement that drugmakers are likely to oppose may take weeks to hammer out. Tai added that she saw momentum from WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala “to take this opportunity and see what is the WTO capable of”.The Biden administration will encourage other countries to join its position, Tai said.

“This change in long-standing American policy will not save lives,” said Stephen Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, the biopharma industry’s lobbying group. “This decision does nothing to address the real challenges to getting more shots in arms, including last-mile distribution and limited availability of raw materials. These are the real challenges we face that this empty promise ignores.”

“Given what is at stake, this is the best chance for the WTO to be able to come together to deliver something that is going to help people and make a difference,” Tai said.

 

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