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This is breaking news that is BIG at many levels!
Germany's BioNTech has signed a manufacturing deal with China's Fosun to make 1 billion doses/yr of the BT/Pfizer mRNA vax in China.
@himalkk @Jamz5251 @poliohunt @glassmanamanda @yates_rob https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3132834/fosun-pharma-unit-biontech-form-joint-venture-make-1-billion?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=share_widget&utm_campaign=3132834
Germany's BioNTech has signed a manufacturing deal with China's Fosun to make 1 billion doses/yr of the BT/Pfizer mRNA vax in China.
@himalkk @Jamz5251 @poliohunt @glassmanamanda @yates_rob https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3132834/fosun-pharma-unit-biontech-form-joint-venture-make-1-billion?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=share_widget&utm_campaign=3132834
Let me say this—Thank God for the Germans! Let's pray that the US does not try to scupper this 
.
I have been calling for US-China cooperation on vax production. But it ain't happening and I can't see the Biden administration ever allowing Pfizer to do this.
@glassmanamanda
.I have been calling for US-China cooperation on vax production. But it ain't happening and I can't see the Biden administration ever allowing Pfizer to do this.
@glassmanamanda
Thankfully, BioNTech, which developed the vax (not Pfizer), is German. It gave the sales rights for much of the world to Pfizer, but retained rights for Europe & China for itself. So just as BioNTech partnered with a 
firm to make the vax, it's now doing the same with 
firm.
firm to make the vax, it's now doing the same with firm.
The deal follows negotiations btwn BTs Turkish-German head & senior Chinese officials. The deal importantly will transfer technology/knowhow from Germany to Fosun. It reminds me how in the old Silk Route, the Islamic world transferred knowhow from China to Europe. @dilinialgama
This is good for the world b'cos it means that global mRNA production will get a 1 billion dose boost, a lot faster than what the Biden admin is just talking about. And the world needs these 95% efficacy vax now, not in 2022 or 2023.
It confirms 
as the only adult in the G7. Merkel pushed back hard on Biden's WTO move, b'cos she rightly said the urgent problem is technology transfers+production, not patents. She's right.
@Karl_Lauterbach @dwai_banerjee @GermanyinSL
as the only adult in the G7. Merkel pushed back hard on Biden's WTO move, b'cos she rightly said the urgent problem is technology transfers+production, not patents. She's right.@Karl_Lauterbach @dwai_banerjee @GermanyinSL
Somebody told me this is a big 
to the US—I suspect there's a kernel of truth in that.
To end this pandemic we need to break this US/G7 Cold War mentality that prevents true global cooperation to save lives. This is one small step towards doing that and doing the right thing.
to the US—I suspect there's a kernel of truth in that.To end this pandemic we need to break this US/G7 Cold War mentality that prevents true global cooperation to save lives. This is one small step towards doing that and doing the right thing.
This is also good news long term. mRNA is wonderful technology & will change medicine. But first we need to make it cheap. was already working on mRNA production, but this will accelerate capacity in the Global South. All capitalists should celebrate the increased competition.
was already working on mRNA production, but this will accelerate capacity in the Global South. All capitalists should celebrate the increased competition.
