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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Politics
Elias Visontay

Global powers inch closer to agreement to waive Covid vaccine patents

Covid vaccination South Africa
Compromised version of waiver would see only Covid vaccine patents suspended for duration of pandemic, with treatment and testing formulas still subject to intellectual property protections. Photograph: Sumaya Hisham/Reuters

Global powers have inched closer to an agreement to waive patents for Covid-19 vaccines, a move that would allow for cheaper generic versions to be manufactured and distributed among developing nations faster.

A leaked document, seen by the Guardian, reveals details of a compromise struck between the United States, the European Union, India and South Africa that would end a deadlock over an intellectual property waiver, 18 months after the proposal was first taken to the World Trade Organization.

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