‘Intellectual Property’ in Coronavirus Vaccine
The emergence of calls for IP exemption for the Covid-19 vaccine is based on shared interests to accelerate the production and procurement process for the Covid-19 vaccine.
More than 100 countries have urged the World Trade Organization (WTO) to remove the intellectual property protection for the Covid-19 vaccines.
Of course, the initiatives come from underdeveloped countries, especially South Africa and India. This urge was met with the approval of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, who was then willing to process the decision further.
Biden has even ordered the US representatives at the WTO to continue this proposal. Intellectual property contains elements of patents, copyright and royalties. Removal of IP protection has a series of significant impacts, both positive and negative, for many countries and other stakeholders around the world. A similar problem actually occurred several years ago when a series of countries proposed to lift IP protection for antiviral drugs for HIV.
Also read:
^ Vaccination Priority for Vulnerable Groups
^ Small Businesses wait for Govt Vaccinations
Unlike this time, at that time the US was against it. In fact, the manufacturing of antiviral drugs has been carried out by many drug manufacturers in developing countries which are facing a storm of large numbers of HIV sufferers, but it is difficult to get access to new drugs.
IP exemption advantage
The emergence of calls for IP exemption for the Covid-19 vaccine is based on shared interests to accelerate the production and procurement process for the Covid-19 vaccine. As is known, until the second week of May 2021, only about 1 billion doses of vaccine have been given with a very uneven distribution in the world.
IP means that vaccine production can only be done by the company concerned.
Inequality occurs, among others, due to the very limited availability of vaccines and differences in economic ability to purchase the vaccines. Even if a country has obtained a procurement commitment, it is usually because of the assistance of Covax, which was established with the aim of helping a group of relatively underprivileged countries. IP means that vaccine production can only be done by the company concerned.
Other parties who want to produce the vaccines certainly are not allowed. If anyone wants to get the vaccine, the best way is to buy it. In fact, the price of Covid-19 vaccine, outside of the Covax scheme and one or two vaccines made under the very cheap scheme, are relatively expensive. Meanwhile, the queues for the purchase of vaccines were long and victims continued to fall.
In the second week of May 2021, there are at least six Asian countries that are facing a significant increase in Covid-19 sufferers, outside of India, which is really facing a nightmare. As a result, even if the country does get a vaccine, the process is definitely long, with a long period of time, and the costs are not small.
IP waive is expected to change all that. Vaccine production can be carried out by other companies that master the technology, the selling price can be reduced and the country can get the vaccine in question in a relatively short period of time. Especially for the mRNA vaccine, which has a very fast production period. Ideally, it is this picture that emerges, but in reality the process and the subsequent journey will not be easy.
Once again, the consideration of the safety of mankind and the fact that nobody on earth should feel safe if someone is still insecure, is the main basis for the IP protection removal.
Among the developed countries, only France clearly supports the US. This speculation is based on the consideration that no French vaccine company has a licensed vaccine. The Pasteur Institute has discontinued the Covid-19 vaccine series and giant company Sanofi has yet to complete its phase 3 clinical trial after a series of delays due to a low immunological response. Other EU countries and Britain opposed this plan.
This will also be felt by China, although there’s possibility this East Asian Country will also face other disadvantages if IP is indeed waived.
In the world, of all Covid-19 vaccines that have distribution permits, four come from the US, four from China, two from Russia, and one each from India, Britain and Kazakhstan. More than 100 other vaccine candidates are currently in phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical tests. India, which has a large-scale vaccine factory, will certainly benefit greatly from the IP exemption. This will also be felt by China, although there’s possibility this East Asian Country will also face other disadvantages if IP is indeed waived.
Loss from IP waive
The main disadvantage from the decision to waive IP will particularly hit researchers and vaccine producers in developed countries. They also immediately speak out against this plan. In every scientific event on vaccines, whenever there is a suggestion that the price of vaccines be made cheaper, especially for less developed countries, indeed, the answer always appears that "one of the consequences of that is the delay in new vaccine research."
Also read:
^ ‘Gotong Royong’ Vaccination Considered Too Expensive
^ Gotong Royong Vaccination Program
IP provides scientific recognition, legal protection and material benefits for researchers and vaccine producers, especially in developed countries. The affected party proposes another alternative scheme to achieve the same goal without sacrificing IP.
One of the models put on the table is the collaboration between the University of Oxford and Astra-Zeneca, in which from the beginning various financial and price alternatives have been discussed. Oxford has consistently demanded that companies take less advantage of their vaccines and instead aim to increase immunization coverage as broad as possible worldwide.
Another model is a kind of work contract so that the Serum Institute company in India can produce vaccines belonging to other countries without putting aside IP. The third alternative is to take over the vaccine factory in another country and increase production capacity, both in terms of type and quantity. During the pandemic, the US has modified or built dozens of new factories to pursue production targets.
Many experts argue that the US government\'s support for waiving IP is more political. In fact, the process that is expected to follow the IP exemption will require many things, if in the end the decision is approved. Cooperation with genuine vaccine companies, for example. Even though the IP right protection is removed, the technology for mRNA vaccines and adeno virus-based vaccines is only controlled by a few parties.
Also read:
^ Vaccine Needle Breaks Through Creed Barriers Into Herd Immunity
^ Transmission of New Variants Found in Indonesia
Without cooperation for technology transfer, it is impossible for other companies or countries to produce their own products. So far, the US has three Covid-19 vaccine platforms: the mRNA vaccine, a viral vector, and a recombinant protein. Three other platforms are also known, namely vaccines DNA, inactives and attenuated life vaccines, none of which have completed clinical tests. Of all these platforms, recombinant protein is the technology that is known for the longest. Transfer of technology for this type of vaccine is relatively easy and more realistic to do.
Impact for Indonesia
IP protection removal will also have implications for us. In Southeast Asia, only Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are capable and already producing vaccines. In the country, only Bio Farma, which is a state-owned company, is able to immediately take benefit. Production of inactivated vaccines and also recombinant protein is possible.
Especially if the agreement between our government and China is indeed realized.
Technology has been mastered. Costs will be reduced because there is no need to buy vaccines from other countries at high prices. Production continuity is also guaranteed. Especially if the agreement between our government and China is indeed realized. Other vaccine companies are not quite ready yet.
Companies that are already producing drugs for humans need certain modifications to be able to produce vaccines. Vaccine factories for animals also need to improve the conditions they have in order to meet the requirements for good manufacturing products. It all takes time and costs are relatively expensive.
For vaccine researchers who are currently getting a breath of fresh air because of the government\'s great support for the “Red and White” vaccine scheme, the IP exemption will become a dilemma. The flow of research funding may be reduced. The passion of doing research to produce a vaccine may be replaced with the desire to get the product from another country that is cheaper and faster to make.
Vaccine research may disappear and we become a country of more than 250 million people who are unable to research and produce vaccines independently.
Whatever the final decision, IP exemption is always like a double-edged sword. Hopefully, the maximum benefits will be felt by as many humans as possible while reducing losses for researchers and vaccine producers. While waiting, let us be consistent in continuing to disseminate the Covid-19 vaccination, which has clearly provided tangible benefits in countries with high-coverage vaccination, such as the Seychelles, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Let\'s also continue research on the “Red and White” vaccine until it is truly realized and can be felt by many people. The dynamics of the Covid-19 vaccine still have a long way to go.
Dominicus Husada, Head of Pediatric Infectious and Tropical Diseases Division, Department of Pediatric Health, School of Medicine; Member of the Covid-19 Vaccine Research Team, Airlangga University.
(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko).