Vaccine patents: Biden’s move, Merkel cuddles Biontech and Curevac, Draghi’s carrot and stick with USA and Big Pharma
Words, moves, problems, bluffs and scenarios on the patents of the anti Covid vaccines. Facts, names, numbers, curiosities and controversies. Bits of press review in the tweets of Michele Arnese, director of Start
THE STILETTATA OF DRAGONS TO THE BIG PHARMA
"Pharmaceutical companies have received enormous funding from governments, and at this point one would almost expect them to return at least some of it to those in need." (Mario Draghi, source: Corsera)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
STICK AND CARROT OF DRAGONS TO USA
Porto, meaning of Draghi's speech to his colleagues: "Other countries must remove export blocks: the EU exports 80% of its production to countries affected by export blocks. I welcome President Biden's proposal" . (Corsera)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
THE SIGHTS OF BIDEN
Biden's decision serves to recover sympathy and influence in poor countries, to counter Chinese penetration. Internally Biden has made a concession to his left wing. (Rampini)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
SUBBUGLI PROGRESSISTI ANTI BIDEN
The progressive press that sympathizes with Biden is full of doubts: from the New York Times to the Washington Post, a chorus of experts notes that free access to patents will have a marginal impact, very slow, of no use for emergencies such as contagion in India . (Rampini, Rep)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
THE MOVE OF BIDEN SEEN BY MAGRI (ISPI)
"Biden has done a distraction on the liberalization of Covid vaccines as the United States does not export home-made vaccines." (Paolo Magri, director of Ispi, at Ominibus on La7)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
EUROPE IN LAYOUT ORDER ON US PROPOSAL
Biden proposal to liberalize patents at least temporarily. Germany against. France fought. Belgium, which exports 70% of European vaccines, is cautiously waiting. Spain in favor: proposes to speed up "the voluntary transfer of licenses". (Sole 24 Ore)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
MERKEL'S CALLS ABOUT PATENTS
"After a phone call with Biontech founder Ugur
Sahin, Merkel reiterated her skepticism regarding the Biden proposal, also strengthened by the clear stance of Curevac founder Ingmar Hoerr, who branded it as "purely populist" ". (Rep)– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
THE MANEUVERS OF GERMANY
Germany and vaccines. "Verdi, Linke and NGOs immediately supported the White House proposal. With her no, Merkel can profile the CDU as the champion of made in Germany, especially in the field of advanced technologies". (Corsera)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
TRIA STRONCA BIDEN
Ideological battle that translates into a race to abstractly position itself on the side of the good. This is the risk opened by the declarations of the US administration for the suspension of patents on anti-Covid vaccines. (Giovanni Tria, former Minister of Economy)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
WHO IN CHINESE
The World Health Organization approved for
the emergency use of the vaccine from Sinopharm, a Chinese state company, and recommended it in two doses for adults. It is the first to be recognized by the WHO among non-Western ones. (Rep)– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
WTO PUFFS ON USA FOR PATENTS
According to dg WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the patent exemption "may not be the key factor", the organization will try to find "a pragmatic solution, which guarantees developing countries access" to vaccines, without "discouraging research".
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
Vaccine patents. "Reaching an international compromise for a possible suspension of licenses appears very difficult. In the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in fact, the rule of consent applies". (Sun)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
THE COLAO PLAN ON THE NETWORKS
Unique network project between Tim and Open Fiber, the orientation of the government (and that of the Authorities) clearly much less favorable than in the Conte era. (Sole 24 Ore
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
The Colao plan. Tlc network, permits within 90 days. Separate tenders for landline and 5G. In the Simplification Decree, the rule “unlocks fiber”: in some cases silent consent even after 60 days. In June, the map of mobile networks. EU resources of 6.7 billion plus 2.4 from private individuals. (Sun)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
FEDRIGA SUPER OPENER
«An assessment must be made of whether to anticipate reopening or resumption of activities planned for June and July. I am referring to gyms, theme parks, indoor restaurants, shopping centers in the we ». (Fedriga, president of Friuli Venezia Giulia)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
GREEK FOLGORA HISTORICAL
Loggia Hungary. "From the detailed and severe report by Greco and Pedio it would emerge that the alleged" inertia "of the top management were not, but Storari's choice would have seriously damaged that investigation, now full of poisons and mysteries, which has become the Amara case". (Rep)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
THE PRECARIANS ENTER IN SCHOOL
Maxi plan for school, towards the recruitment of at least 60 thousand temporary workers. On the plate there would be between 1 and 1.3 billion euros, but the pressure to increase resources is growing: there are 112 thousand empty seats, almost six out of ten in the North. (Sole 24 Ore)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
QUISQUILIE & PINZILLACCHERE
After the non-alcoholic beer, the alcohol-free wine? Yes. Indeed, no. Maybe. The European Union is discussing this but in the meantime the debate is open, especially in Italy, where concern reigns for the future of quality brands typical of "made in Italy". (The print)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
"Without a document or a residence, for at least 500 thousand people in Italy it is practically impossible to access vaccine reservations, whose right, as also clarified by AIFA, cannot be linked to legal status". (Everyday occurrence)
– Michele Arnese (@Michele_Arnese) May 8, 2021
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EXCERPT FROM AN ARTICLE OF THE REPUBLIC ON GERMANY, PATENTS AND VACCINES:
Merkel intervened at the top with the issue. After a phone call with the founder of Biontech, Ugur Sahin, he reiterated his skepticism regarding the Biden proposal, also strengthened by the clear stance of the founder of Curevac, Ingmar Hoerr, who branded it as "purely populist". For Merkel it is not a detail: in June the green light of the EMA in Curevac is expected, after Biontech the second vaccine made in Germany. And Berlin has no intention, all the more so after investing 350 million euros in Biontech and 300 million in Curevac, of which it has even secured a 23% stake, to give up the ambition of conquering a global outpost through vaccines. in the development of high-tech drugs such as mRna products produced by both Biontech and Curevac.
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EXCERPT FROM AN ARTICLE FROM CORRIERE DELLA SERA ON GERMANY AND VACCINES:
In fact, other factors weigh on the choice of the chancellor. First of all, there is an internal political component, which is reflected in the electoral campaign already underway: Verdi, Linke and NGOs immediately supported the White House proposal. "Germany must link up with the US and launch an initiative at the World Health Organization," said Grünen co-chair Robert Habeck. With her no, Merkel can profile the CDU as the champion of made in Germany, especially in the field of advanced technologies, but the strategic factor is even stronger and more interesting. Merkel has said early on that the advent of the Biden administration following the Trump disaster, while welcomed with relief, would not eliminate differences of views between America and Europe. The one on vaccine patents is an example. All the more so as the US somersault puts Berlin in front of a dilemma: on the one hand, the German government was among the first to commit to a more equitable global distribution of vaccines, generously funding the Covax initiative under the aegis of the UN. On the other hand, it is irritating that after months of insistence on the national vaccination campaign, including strict export bans, the US now wants to profile itself as a champion of international solidarity. The chancellor is also annoyed by the fact that Biden's breakthrough is also a counter-move in what is called vax-diplomacy. By proposing to liberalize the production of vaccines, albeit for a fixed period, the White House seeks to create political capital for itself in the systemic conflict with China, launched on the "silk road of health" with the export of its Sinovac and Sinopharm in Africa and elsewhere. In other words, Biden's seems to be a soft power move, with no immediate effect compared to the global fight against the pandemic. But it risks already producing concrete negative effects on the entrepreneurial level, penalizing long-term investment decisions.
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EXTRACT FROM AN ARTICLE FROM CORRIERE DELLA SERA ON DRAGONS AND VACCINES:
«In Europe – is the meaning of the speech that Draghi makes to his colleagues – we must continue to accelerate vaccinations with transparency and reliability. Production needs to be increased in every part of Europe. Other countries must remove export blocks: the EU exports 80% of its production to countries affected by export blocks. In this context, I welcome President Biden's proposal ". And this is because, continues Draghi," we are facing a unique event: millions of people who are not in a position to buy vaccines are dying. Pharmaceutical companies have received enormous funding from governments, and at this point one would almost expect them to return at least some of it to those in need. People who are familiar with the subject tell me that a temporary and well thought-out measure would not be a disincentive for the pharmaceutical industry. However, there are two further problems that will have to be addressed in order for the proposal to be considered realistic: the safety of production and the incredible complexity of the production process. As Europeans we cannot ignore this problem. We know that financial resources are not and will never be enough. But the cry resounds. ”In short, making vaccine recipes public, allowing everyone, even with the transfer of know-how and industrial financing to poor countries, to produce vaccines at home is a legitimate medium-term objective to be supported. And even if the temporary suspension of the legal protection of patents to be negotiated at the WTO in Geneva is a complex process, at least for Draghi, as for Biden , it is worth trying the game, in a long-term perspective.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/brevetti-vaccini-biden-merkel-draghi/ on Sat, 08 May 2021 08:28:13 +0000.