COVID-19
Unredacted Pfizer contract with Dominican Republic, shows broad indemnity provisions for COVID-19 vaccine sales
On March 1, 2021, KEI obtained a copy of the binding term sheet between Pfizer/BioNTech and the Dominican Republic for the supply of their COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The document, requested via the freedom of information law in the… Continue Reading
KEI Letter to New WTO Director-General on COVID-19 Response
On March 1, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) sent a letter to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the WTO’s COVID-19 response. In the letter, KEI urged Dr. Ngozi to fully step into… Continue Reading
Manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines typically start delivering in under six months after tech transfer
Based on press releases and additional publicly-available information, KEI is building a dataset with a non-exhaustive list of deals that involve technology transfer and outsourcing of COVID-19 vaccines manufacturing. As of February 19, 2021, the dataset includes observations for over… Continue Reading
Incoming WTO Director-General calls for ‘third way’ towards scaling up manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines
On Monday, 15 February 2021, the World Trade Organization’s General Council, “agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General” (Source: History is made: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala chosen as Director-General, 15 February 2021). Dr Ngozi is… Continue Reading
COVID-19 Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity
KEI has created a public listserve to discuss vaccine manufacturing scale up. (link) February 19, 2021: Roundtable on Pathways to Scale Up Manufacturing Capacity for COVID-19 Vaccines – 19. KEI has gathered data regarding vaccine manufacturing capacity in countries worldwide,… Continue Reading
President Ursula von der Leyen on COVID-19 (Davos Agenda Week): “And now, the companies must deliver. They must honour their obligations.”
On Tuesday, 26 January 2021, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission delivered a special address at “Davos Agenda Week” devoting much of her speech to the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While President von… Continue Reading
The European Commission-Curevac Advance Purchase Contract for a COVID-19 Vaccine
The European Commission has released a redacted version of a contract with Curevac for a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine uses mRNA technology, similar to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The contract is severely redacted in some areas, but some information… Continue Reading
South Africa on fire: closing innings at the WTO TRIPS Council (10 December 2020)
UPDATE (16 December 2020): The WTO General Council is meeting from Wednesday, 16 December 2020 to Friday, 18 December 2020 to discuss a number of matters including e-commerce, cotton, and TRIPS Council matters. Under agenda item 13, the Chair of… Continue Reading
Foundational mRNA patents are subject to the Bayh-Dole Act provisions
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman are often described as the pioneers of the mRNA discoveries that underpin the first COVID-19 vaccines. In 2005 both scientists published a paper reporting that a slightly tweaked version of mRNA that can be administered… Continue Reading