ANI
05 May 2021, 05:07 GMT+10
By Reena BhardwajWashington [US], May 5 (ANI): US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) said he has not yet announced whether his administration will support a global push to waive intellectual property protections on COVID-19 vaccines.
"We are going to decide that as we go along. I haven't made that decision yet," the President told reporters here following a White House briefing on vaccine distribution while providing an update on goals for returning to pre-pandemic life.
The Biden administration is facing pressure from the international community, drug pricing advocates and congressional Democrats to back a move that would waive an international intellectual property agreement that protects pharmaceutical trade secrets.
On Tuesday before Biden's address, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee urged the U.S. trade representative to continue opposing a waiver to loosen patent and intellectual property protections on coronavirus vaccines.
In a letter to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, the Republicans said the waiver would do "little to improve public health.""The requested waiver is extraordinarily broad and unnecessary to accomplish the goal of giving as many people as possible access to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, including in developing countries," the Republicans wrote.
"Rather, the waiver would undermine the very innovation that has led to the record-breaking rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines already saving lives around the world, and it would not meaningfully improve vaccine availability."The lawmakers said the international community should instead focus on overcoming "the real obstacles faced by developing countries in accessing vaccines and treatments, which does not require waiving intellectual property (IP) rights."The waiver proposal is being spearheaded by India and South Africa, which argue it would enable lower-income countries to manufacture the vaccines themselves, especially in light of the record-breaking wave of COVID-19 infections in India.
The World Trade Organization will assess whether to temporarily waive the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement, which has effectively provided pharmaceutical companies monopoly control over vaccine production, potentially locking out poor countries from expanding their supplies.
The Biden administration is expected to set its position clearly at the World Trade Organization meeting on Wednesday. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Zimbabwe Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Zimbabwe Star.
More InformationMADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Paramount has agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump over...
LONDON, U.K.: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer won a vote in Parliament this week to move ahead with changes to the country's welfare...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. President...
Abu Dhabi [UAE], July 5 (ANI/WAM): President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President...
Birmingham [UK], July 5 (ANI): KL Rahul continued his fine overseas run in Test cricket, becoming only the second Indian opener after...
* China's first LEGOLAND resort opened on Saturday in Shanghai. * Spanning 318,000 square meters, LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort is the...
Worcester [UK], July 5 (ANI): India's 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi cracked the fastest century in the U19 ODI...
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson made a record-breaking return to the Kerala...
* In recent years, BRICS has transformed into a major force fostering cooperation among Global South nations. This collaboration not...