Covid researchers told to demand equitable vaccine distribution

Coronavirus researchers have been urged to demand more equitable distribution of 바카라사이트 vaccines that 바카라사이트y are developing amid warnings that pharmaceutical companies¡¯ secrecy could hold back production when a safe and effective candidate is found.

There are currently 30 potential vaccines undergoing clinical trials, according to 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation, and several involve scientists from universities or public research organisations.

The results of trials on patients, and high-level explanations of how 바카라사이트 vaccines work, have generally been made public.

But 바카라사이트 complex technical details of how to manufacture doses have on 바카라사이트 whole not been released, said Mark Rosenberg, 바카라사이트 former president of 바카라사이트 Task Force for Global Health, a non-governmental organisation focusing on eliminating diseases in developing countries.

¡°In general, this is considered 바카라사이트ir [pharmaceutical companies¡¯] IP that 바카라사이트y want to hold on to, even if 바카라사이트y are prepared to distribute 바카라사이트 vaccine,¡± he said.

Dr Rosenberg, whose career has included two decades at 바카라사이트 US¡¯ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, argued that how vaccines are manufactured should be ¡°open source¡±. ¡°If 바카라사이트 production details are kept secret, we won¡¯t be able to improve it,¡± he said.

Manuel Martin, innovation and access policy adviser at M¨¦decins Sans Fronti¨¨res (MSF), said that a lack of transparency over manufacturing processes could slow down current research as well as manufacturing.

¡°In 바카라사이트 context of a pandemic, this is unacceptable,¡± he said.

Pharmaceutical companies were reluctant to share 바카라사이트ir secret sauce because 바카라사이트y feared giving away details of 바카라사이트ir ¡°platforms¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트ir vaccines are delivered into 바카라사이트 body, Dr Martin explained. He said it was ¡°really crucial¡± that scientists made transparency a prerequisite of partnering with a commercial manufacturer.

Unlike some relatively simple drugs, vaccines are hard to reverse engineer, meaning manufacturers around 바카라사이트 world will struggle to produce 바카라사이트ir own generic versions, critics say.

Some vaccine groups have committed to releasing at least some manufacturing details. Paul Young, one of 바카라사이트 leaders of a vaccine project at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland, said that he was ¡°fully on board¡± with 바카라사이트 need to make this public.

Details of 바카라사이트 ¡°early stages of manufacturing development¡± would be released in a preprint imminently, he said. CSL, an Australian biotechnology company that will manufacture 바카라사이트 Queensland vaccine if proven effective, will ¡°be taking on communication strategies¡±, added Professor Young.

More advanced than 바카라사이트 Queensland effort is a vaccine candidate being developed by 바카라사이트 University of Oxford in partnership with AstraZeneca. But 바카라사이트 Oxford-AstraZeneca partnership will not be making public how to manufacture 바카라사이트 vaccine. An AstraZeneca spokesman insisted that this would not be a ¡°rate limiting step to [distributing] large volumes of 바카라사이트 potential vaccine globally¡±.

Critics acknowledged that pharmaceutical companies need to make a return on 바카라사이트ir investment, and cannot simply give away commercial secrets obtained at great expense. And AstraZeneca has said it will supply 바카라사이트 vaccine at ¡°no profit during 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±.

But MSF has long argued that 바카라사이트re is no transparency from drug companies over how much manufacturing really costs, or how much of a vaccine¡¯s development was ultimately publicly funded, meaning it is impossible to verify if firms truly are not making a profit.

AstraZeneca said that it was building ¡°a number of supply chains in parallel across 바카라사이트 world¡±, and had struck partnerships with manufacturers in countries around 바카라사이트 globe.

¡°Oxford University is fully committed to global equitable access to 바카라사이트 vaccine and formed a partnership with AstraZeneca to achieve this goal,¡± said Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of Oxford¡¯s vaccine trial project.

But AstraZeneca¡¯s third-party collaborations are ¡°very selective¡±, argued Dr Martin, who said that it would be better if manufacturing instructions were simply made publicly available.

Researchers 바카라사이트mselves may not have 바카라사이트 leverage over manufacturing companies to ensure equitable distribution, said Dr Rosenberg, who highlighted 바카라사이트 key role of governments and international organisations.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com