House Republicans urge opposition to vaccine patent waiver | TheHill – The Hill

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday urged the U.S. trade representative to continue opposing a waiver to loosen patent and intellectual property protections on coronavirus vaccines.

The Biden administration is facing pressure from the international community, drug pricing advocates and congressional Democrats to back a move that would waive an international intellectual property agreement that protects pharmaceutical trade secrets.

The waiver proposal is being spearheaded by India and South Africa,which argue it would enable lower-income countries to manufacture the vaccines themselves, especially in light of the record-breaking wave of COVID-19 infections in India.

The Biden administration is expected to set its position clearly at a World Trade Organization meeting on Wednesday.

In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine TaiKatherine TaiPressure builds for Biden to back vaccine patent waivers The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent BioSolutions - Biden sales pitch heads to Virginia and Louisiana On The Money: Breaking down Biden's .8T American Families Plan | Powell voices confidence in Fed's handle on inflation | Wall Street basks in 'Biden boom' MORE, the Republicans, led by Reps. Jim JordanJames (Jim) Daniel JordanBiden offers traditional address in eerie setting Britney Spears to discuss conservatorship in court McCarthy unveils House GOP task forces, chairs MORE (Ohio) and Darrell IssaDarrell Edward IssaRepublicans need to stop Joe Biden's progressive assault on America Mellman: Biden's smart bipartisan message Companies sidestep self-imposed bans on GOP donations MORE (Calif.), said the waiver would do little to improve public health.

"The requested waiver is extraordinarily broad and unnecessary to accomplish the goal of giving as many people as possible access to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, including in developing countries," they wrote. "Rather, the waiver would undermine the very innovation that has led to the record-breaking rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines already saving lives around the world, and it would not meaningfully improve vaccine availability."

The lawmakerssaid the international community should instead focus on overcoming "the real obstacles faced by developing countries in accessing vaccines and treatments, which does not require waiving intellectual property (IP) rights."

The Republicans suggested focusing on programs such as COVAX and the ACT Accelerator initiative.

"These efforts are providing real solutions for countries that need access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments without dismantling IP protections, even temporarily," the lawmakers wrote.

Democrats and international advocates argue President BidenJoe BidenGarland to emphasize national security, civil rights in first congressional appearance as attorney general Afghan president: 'Critically important' for US, NATO to fulfill security funding commitments Schumer 'exploring' passing immigration unilaterally if talks unravel MORE has a moral imperative to act and to help the world and that sharingvaccine IP is the best way to do it.

Administration officials have not tipped their hand,butWhite House chief of staff Ron KlainRon KlainPressure builds for Biden to back vaccine patent waivers The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent BioSolutions - Biden sales pitch heads to Virginia and Louisiana Sunday shows - Biden economic agenda dominates MORE suggestedwhen pressed recently that patents and other IP protections are not the main barriers to increasing global vaccine access.

Some experts similarly caution that simply waiving patents would not solve the problem, given that the vaccines are very difficult to produce. Having the recipe for a vaccine does not necessarily mean a drugmaker could produce it.

In an interview with the Financial Timeson Monday, top infectious diseases expert Anthony FauciAnthony FauciThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent BioSolutions - Can Cheney defy the odds and survive again? Overnight Health Care: WHO-backed Covax gets a boost from Moderna Experts say that herd immunity is unlikely soon, if ever MORE suggested he was "agnostic" to the idea of an IP waiver but did not want to spend time being tied up in court because of the inevitable pharmaceutical industry lawsuits.

If you take too long, people are going to die, Fauci told the paper. There are other ways to ramp up vaccine production around the world.

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House Republicans urge opposition to vaccine patent waiver | TheHill - The Hill