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Geneva: An effort to waive patent rights for COVID-19 vaccines hit a roadblock on Thursday when Western countries refused to enter into talks a group of developing countries had hoped to launch on the subject at the World Trade Organization (WTO), diplomats said.
Countries such as India and South Africa want to see such patents lifted temporarily, to boost the global supply of vaccines. At informal WTO consultations, a South African trade diplomat charged that industrialized countries are responsible for current shortages, participants said afterwards, speaking on condition of anonymity. The South African envoy said Western pharmaceutical companies had granted production licenses to a small number of firms, even though countries such as Cuba, Indonesia, Senegal and Thailand are also capable of making vaccines.
Envoys from other developing countries criticized that the European Union and other countries are buying up supplies, while opposing patent waivers that would help others.
In the online WTO talks, the EU argued that protecting the know-how of drug companies is absolutely necessary to foster innovation.
According to participants, the US said that pharmaceutical industry would not have undertaken the large financial risks involved in developing COVID-19 vaccines if they did not have the rights to produce and sell their products.(dpa)
Countries such as India and South Africa want to see such patents lifted temporarily, to boost the global supply of vaccines. At informal WTO consultations, a South African trade diplomat charged that industrialized countries are responsible for current shortages, participants said afterwards, speaking on condition of anonymity. The South African envoy said Western pharmaceutical companies had granted production licenses to a small number of firms, even though countries such as Cuba, Indonesia, Senegal and Thailand are also capable of making vaccines.
Envoys from other developing countries criticized that the European Union and other countries are buying up supplies, while opposing patent waivers that would help others.
In the online WTO talks, the EU argued that protecting the know-how of drug companies is absolutely necessary to foster innovation.
According to participants, the US said that pharmaceutical industry would not have undertaken the large financial risks involved in developing COVID-19 vaccines if they did not have the rights to produce and sell their products.(dpa)
