A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness
In October 2020, India and South Africa submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to suspend IP on all COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics until widespread vaccination could help achieve immunity among people in low- and middle-income countries. After 18 months, the fin...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580221124821 |
| _version_ | 1798000623103246336 |
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| author | Tahir Amin LLB (Hons), Dip LP Aaron S. Kesselheim MD, JD, MPH |
| author_facet | Tahir Amin LLB (Hons), Dip LP Aaron S. Kesselheim MD, JD, MPH |
| author_sort | Tahir Amin LLB (Hons), Dip LP |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In October 2020, India and South Africa submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to suspend IP on all COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics until widespread vaccination could help achieve immunity among people in low- and middle-income countries. After 18 months, the final WTO Decision substantially watered down the original text proposed by India and South Africa, limiting it only to patents on vaccines and the use of protected clinical trial data for regulatory approval. We address why an IP waiver under TRIPS consistent with the one originally proposed by India and South Africa is still needed to not only meet the ongoing inequities of COVID-19, but also to ensure the right precedent for future equitable pandemic preparedness and other crises affecting the global South. To meet the multilateral goals of the WTO, an IP waiver as proposed by India and South Africa is still needed to increase manufacturing capability for vaccines, therapeutics, and other COVID-19 health-related technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:23:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5556c7dbb444981a9ba5559d64f8479 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0046-9580 1945-7243 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:23:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5556c7dbb444981a9ba5559d64f84792022-12-22T04:26:40ZengSAGE PublishingInquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing0046-95801945-72432022-09-015910.1177/00469580221124821A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic PreparednessTahir Amin LLB (Hons), Dip LP0Aaron S. Kesselheim MD, JD, MPH1Initiative for Medicines, Access and Knowledge (I-MAK), New York City, NY, USAProgram On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Deparment of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USAIn October 2020, India and South Africa submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to suspend IP on all COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics until widespread vaccination could help achieve immunity among people in low- and middle-income countries. After 18 months, the final WTO Decision substantially watered down the original text proposed by India and South Africa, limiting it only to patents on vaccines and the use of protected clinical trial data for regulatory approval. We address why an IP waiver under TRIPS consistent with the one originally proposed by India and South Africa is still needed to not only meet the ongoing inequities of COVID-19, but also to ensure the right precedent for future equitable pandemic preparedness and other crises affecting the global South. To meet the multilateral goals of the WTO, an IP waiver as proposed by India and South Africa is still needed to increase manufacturing capability for vaccines, therapeutics, and other COVID-19 health-related technologies.https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580221124821 |
| spellingShingle | Tahir Amin LLB (Hons), Dip LP Aaron S. Kesselheim MD, JD, MPH A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| title | A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness |
| title_full | A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness |
| title_fullStr | A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness |
| title_short | A Global Intellectual Property Waiver is Still Needed to Address the Inequities of COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness |
| title_sort | global intellectual property waiver is still needed to address the inequities of covid 19 and future pandemic preparedness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580221124821 |
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