US COVID Vaccine Patent Waiver Is Big, Symbolic Blow For Pharma, But The Fight Is Just Beginning

Drug manufacturers still have a variety of ways to limit the impact of the Biden administration’s historic decision. Whether the huge political loss for industry translates into more than just headline-risk or faster global COVID vaccination remains to be seen. It is also not clear whether it is an ominous sign for other industry battles in the US, including the drug pricing debate.

The US government’s 5 May declaration of support for waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization is a significant political defeat for pharmaceutical manufacturers, but it is just the first move in a complicated process that could still play out in industry’s favor.

There are several steps that still need to happen before a waiver is granted and anyone could begin effectively using...

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