Research shows that more than 380 therapeutic and vaccine partnerships were produced in 2022, up from 50 in 2021, according to a Geneva, Switzerland-based trade official.
This trend indicates successful protection and management of intellectual property during the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, companies in the biopharmaceutical value chain are prioritizing resilience and health security by investing in flexible manufacturing solutions and regionalization strategies.
At an informal WTO meeting, stakeholders stressed that reducing intellectual property protection could compromise future pandemic response and this is where the role of the WTO is key in addressing problematic trade policies that could compromise public health objectives.
Stakeholders presented information and views on issues to be discussed at the next formal meeting of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), scheduled for October 30-31, 2023.
There, the business sector was represented by Global Multilateral Engagement & Strategic Alliances, Pfizer, DIATROPIX, Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd., Biovac and BogotáBio.
Therapeutic Partnerships
Other participants commented that intellectual property is a key enabler of the innovation response to the pandemic, enabling companies to rapidly develop and commercialize vaccines and therapeutics using existing technology and knowledge.
Collaboration and intellectual property protection enabled rapid scale-up of Covid-19 manufacturing, and while companies would have assisted in the pandemic response without intellectual property rights, collaboration would have been slower and less likely.
Moreover, the inability to share technology and knowledge with competitors would have meant the end of their companies, they said.
One company recalled how, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it mobilized its scientific expertise and resources to contribute to the global response by pursuing four separate ovid-19 vaccine development programs, investing substantially in securing supplies and manufacturing capacity.
Only one candidate advanced through early clinical development and a three-pronged strategy to achieve rapid and equitable global access.