Main negotiators reach ‘outcome’ on Covid vaccine IP waiver
WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala hopes for a final deal by June.
WTO again fails to agree on Covid vaccine patent waiver
South Africa and India have called for intellectual property rights to be temporarily lifted for Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic but the idea has met with fierce opposition from pharmaceutical giants and their host countries.
Still no agreement at WTO on proposal for Covid jab IP waiver
The WTO says all countries agree on the need to ramp up production quickly, but disagree on how best to achieve the goal.
Songwriters in Sabah, Sarawak demand compensation for royalty payments
They say they have been shortchanged for the past three decades, sometimes getting as little as RM13 per year for their creative property.
EU not backing Covid vaccine patent suspension at WTO
It is calling for compulsory licensing deals rather than suspending patents.
EU, UK raise doubts about Covid patent waiver
Agreements at the WTO require the consensus backing of all 164 member states.
New vaccine billionaires as Moderna and BioNTech shares soar
Calls continue for an end to monopoly control on vaccine technology in order to boost production and push down prices.
EU lawmakers back Covid vaccines patent waiver
World Trade Organization boss Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is set to meet EU trade ministers for talks in Brussels.
PM calls for dismantling of patent protections in fight against pandemic
He says this will enable the production of cheaper, generic versions of life-saving medicines for critical diseases, from Covid-19 to HIV/AIDS.
Lifting IP rights for Covid vaccines – good or bad?
Concerns are raised about geopolitical interests, in addition to the unequal distribution of vaccine doses.
Renewed calls for PM to back waiver on Covid-19 patents following US move
NGOs and advocacy groups say the local pharmaceutical industry can help but need the freedom to operate that a WTO waiver could speed up.
It’s not just about patent rights, expert says on ways to make Covid jabs cheaper
India's Serum Institute offers a good example of overcoming the problem of vaccine exclusivity during the current health emergency.
