Tentative COVID-19 patent waiver has few fans

International trade negotiators have come to a tentative agreement on a COVID-19 patent waiver that, if ratified, is unlikely to accomplish anything other than allowing the negotiators to claim victory. Biopharma companies argue that it sets a precedent for diluting IP rights and fails to address barriers that prevent people in poor countries from accessing vaccines, while global health advocates say the original proposal has been narrowed into insignificance.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called the proposal to modify the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement a “major step forward.” She cautioned, however, “that not all the details of the compromise have been ironed out,” and according to a WTO statement, said that because the organization makes decisions by consensus, “work must commence immediately to broaden the discussions to include all 164 members of the WTO.” ...