Explained | How the US waiving IP rights could pave way for a 'people’s vaccine'

Waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines could drive increased production and push down prices for low-income countries

The US's support for waiving intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines could mark a turning point for smaller, low-income countries in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Also Read | US reverses stance, backs Covid vaccine patent waiver

US's statement comes in the face of growing calls for the country to share its vaccine technology and supply with the rest of the world in hopes of producing a freely available “people’s vaccine”. India and South Africa have so far been flag bearers of the plea to scrap the exclusive rights given to big pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and license their vaccines.

European Union countries will discuss waving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, an official said ahead of discussions between the 27 national leaders in the bloc. The EU official also suggested taking practical steps to ramp up production quickly saying it was key to ensuring global vaccine deliveries.

Also Read | EU ready to discuss waiving Covid-19 vaccines patent, says von der Leyen

If the recipe for the vaccine is shared, companies in low and middle-income countries would be empowered to produce hundreds of millions of doses to vaccinate their large populations. This could come as a boon for India which is reeling from an acute shortage of vaccines in its fight to contain a massive surge in cases. So far, India has been able to fully vaccinate only 2.2% of its population.

Waiving intellectual property rights for the duration of the pandemic would help facilitate sharing, increase production and make vaccines cheaper and more accessible at a time when the country is battling a crippling second wave that threatens to create vaccine-resistant variants that could spill over into neighbouring countries and the rest of the world, according to experts.

In October last year, India, along with South Africa, had spearheaded a campaign backed by more than 100 countries at the World Trade Organisation, asking for property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information to be suspended indefinitely as they throttle timely access to affordable vaccines and medicines essential to combat Covid-19.

Doing away with the exclusive rights over vaccines might help narrow the gap in vaccine availability between poorer and richer countries, making vaccine access more equitable. The WHO noted just last month that of more than 700 million vaccine doses administered globally, richer countries have received more than 87 per cent, and low-income countries just 0.2 per cent.

Manufacturers in poorer countries could produce doses rapidly, just as Moderna and Pfizer did last year. This would get more people vaccinated in more vulnerable countries with weaker health infrastructure, and reduce their dependence on wealthy nations.

However, it could still take months of negotiations to work out a clear-cut plan at the World Trade Organisation, which requires a consensus of all 164 member states for such decisions and could encounter hiccups on the way caused by big pharma companies looking to safeguard their interests.

The US decision to support India and South Africa's proposal to waive intellectual property rights for the vaccines is "a useful first step" in creating conditions to vaccinate more people across the world, said R Ramakumar, a professor at the School of Development Studies, TISS. However, he sounded a note of caution, saying the negotiations could take time to formalise into a concrete plan of action. He said Biden's announcement had done little to allay fears of a delayed response to a pressing situation, calling for more clarity on the moves ahead.

"What the world needs today is an unconditional waiver of all IPRs on vaccines and its raw materials and a transfer of know-how to produce it, all starting today," Professor Ramakumar added.