BERLIN — The granting of intellectual property waivers is
not the right way to increase output of
COVID-19 vaccines, the founder of
German vaccine maker
BioNTech said on Wednesday, advocating instead the award
of production licences.
اضافة اعلان
Such waivers are among the options being considered by the
Biden administration for maximising the production and supply of vaccines,
though no decision has been made, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on
Tuesday.
“This is not a solution,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said.
BioNTech, which makes and markets its messenger RNA-based
shot in partnership with US drugmaker Pfizer, considers close cooperation with
selected production partners to be the right approach because its vaccine is
hard to make.
“We are considering ways to issue special licences to
competent producers,” Sahin told an online briefing hosted by the German
foreign correspondents’ association.
This would ensure that the quality of vaccines delivered to
different regions of the world is consistent, Sahin said, adding that
production by licensees could make a contribution towards the end of this year
at the earliest.
The BioNTech/Pfizer shot has been widely administered in
countries including Israel, the United States and Britain, and is also the lead
vaccine in the European Union’s inoculation campaign.
Sahin said it was important that shots produced in the
EU could be exported to other parts of the world. The region could expect to
achieve herd immunity by late summer, but it would be of little use if Europe
were safe but the virus continued to rampage elsewhere, he added.
BioNTech expects Chinese health authorities to approve its
vaccine “by July at the latest”, Sahin told the briefing, adding it should be
possible to start distributing it there that month.
“I am optimistic that we can help the people of China,” said
Sahin, describing its local partner, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co
Ltd, as “a great company”.
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