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Salon
Salon
Science
Charlotte Kilpatrick

Big Pharma won't let the vaccine out

Big Pharma Pfizer United States
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla talks during a press conference with European Commission President after a visit to oversee the production of the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at the factory of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, in Puurs, on April 23, 2021. JOHN THYS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

After months of stalling debate, World Trade Organization member states appear to have finally reached a consensus in the stalemate negotiations for a COVID-19 intellectual property waiver that is a watered-down version of the one proposed by India and South Africa 18 months ago. 

The original waiver called for the temporary suspension of all intellectual property rights — including, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets — that are necessary to reproduce vaccines, diagnostic tests, and therapies for COVID-19. International organizations including Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders supported the waiver in its original form to increase access to medicine and prevent a new variant from developing in areas of low immunity.  

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