Easing of IP restrictions on vaccines is welcome. But it will need to be accompanied by technology transfers

Context: Nearly two years after it was initiated by India and South Africa, a proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines has been approved by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

But, the waiver of IP rights will not amount to anything substantial if pharma companies in the Third World do not have the know-how to produce medicines and vaccines.

Has the deal come out late?

Vaccine supply is no more the challenge it was at the beginning of this year. The argument that the deal has come too late is, therefore, correct to an extent.

What really needs to be done?

The vaccines currently in use provide protection against the more severe forms of Covid. But it’s also clear that these shots do not always guard against infection. The virus continues to pose new questions even though it appears to have become less virulent.

Information flows must, therefore, be geared towards developing second-generation preventives and therapeutics.

– Easing intellectual property restrictions should be seen as the first step in this endeavour.

Waiver of IP rights will not amount to anything substantial if pharma companies in the Third World do not have the know-how to produce medicines and vaccines.

Why technology transfer and partnerships are necessary?

In India, for nearly five decades, the generic industry has reverse-engineered drugs to mass manufacture low-priced therapeutics. But vaccines present a different order of challenge:

– Manufacturers require not only patented knowledge, but also partnerships with the original innovator to develop these preventives. Such arrangements help vaccine manufacturers mobilize technical skills and raw materials.

Technology transfers led to some of the most effective interventions in the battle against the virus. For instance: The tie-up between pharma major AstraZeneca, Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India is a case in point.

Way forward

There was a global consensus, very early in the pandemic, that knowledge sharing would be critical in the battle against the pathogen.

However, this understanding did not translate into equitable distribution of the most potent shield against the virus.

The WTO decision, though belated, is a corrective. Much more will be needed in the coming months.

Source: This post is based on the article “Easing of IP restrictions on vaccines is welcome. But it will need to be accompanied by technology transfers” published in The Indian Express on 18th June 22.