Read on Twitter
1/10 People are excusing Gates by pointing out that he didn't say no to sharing vaccine formulas, he only questioned the ability of factories in the developing world to make them safely.
Gates's views are a load of rubbish. https://twitter.com/Salon/status/1386637199593152518
Gates's views are a load of rubbish. https://twitter.com/Salon/status/1386637199593152518
2/10 This is the same old monopolistic mindset that made him rich. It's also paternalistic, and dismissive of developing-world manufacturers' capabilities.
Even if factories weren't quite up to scratch, the answer should be to help them upgrade, not deny them access to the tech.
Even if factories weren't quite up to scratch, the answer should be to help them upgrade, not deny them access to the tech.
3/10 As a long-term solution, we should be investing in the pharmaceuticals production capacities of developing countries, not only making one-off drug donations. Often developing country producers are far cheaper and more efficient than the rich world.
4/10 As a matter of fact pharmaceutical companies in #Bangladesh have been making other high-quality vaccines for years. eg. https://www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/27.Muktadir.8TC.pdf
5/10 A Bangladeshi company, Incepta, says it could make 600-800 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines a year - easily enough to cover the whole population with hundreds of millions of doses left for export. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-20/how-we-end-the-covid-pandemic-around-the-world-in-months/13260178 .
6/10 "We can make this vaccine available to our entire population within 2-3 months," says the chairman of Incepta.
https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/astrazeneca-vaccine-bangladesh-wants-produce-it-locally-2071
The government says several other companies can produce the vaccine. It has asked AstraZeneca to help with the technology.
https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/astrazeneca-vaccine-bangladesh-wants-produce-it-locally-2071
The government says several other companies can produce the vaccine. It has asked AstraZeneca to help with the technology.
7/10 Meanwhile Russia has asked Bangladesh to co-produce the Sputnik vaccine with its technology, because Russia doesn't have the capacity. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bangladesh-eyes-sputnik-vaccine-to-overcome-supply-shortage-from-india-101618927154228.html
8/10 And in the meantime Bangladesh has nowhere near enough vaccine doses. After a huge spike in Covid this month the cumulative total reached 3/4 million confirmed cases and >11,000 deaths.
NB in Bangladesh it's important to recognise this is about technology access, not law.
NB in Bangladesh it's important to recognise this is about technology access, not law.
9/10 Under a WTO #TRIPS transition period Bangladesh would currently be allowed to copy the vaccine. It just doesn't have access to the tech.
The transition period should be lengthened. See the letter we sent to the US Trade Rep and EU Trade Commissioner https://twitter.com/GDP_Center/status/1385226195403517955?s=20
The transition period should be lengthened. See the letter we sent to the US Trade Rep and EU Trade Commissioner https://twitter.com/GDP_Center/status/1385226195403517955?s=20
10/10 And if Bangladesh left the #LDC category it would lose access to this transition period. Our @GDP_Center policy brief last year argued for an extension: https://bu.edu/gdp/2020/09/04/the-need-to-extend-the-wto-trips-pharmaceuticals-transition-period-for-ldcs-in-the-covid-19-era-evidence-from-bangladesh/
I cite Bangladesh because i've visited for work a few times and interviewed several pharma bosses. The 'tech transfer' to make the Covid vaccine wouldn't be too complex, as I understand it. As Incepta says, it could be done in a few months using virus seed and host cell banks.
Another point to underline is that the existing TRIPS regime is so restrictive that it limits a lot of tech transfer and reverse engineering. Even where 'allowed' to copy under TRIPS special & differential treatment, countries tend not to do so for fear of political repercussions
Better to reform the system and put in place a blanket extension - avoiding diplomatic pressure - than to rely on the possibility that small, less powerful countries might individually seek to use their specific rights under detailed TRIPS concessions.
As always the overall regime tends to set the rules of the game, even if nuances exist.
