Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for IP licensing practices in vaccine production
This British Academy-funded project analysed global patent filings related to COVID-19 vaccines and interviewed experts from vaccine developers to understand how intellectual property (IP) licensing practices influenced vaccine production and supply.
It provides an evidence base for the debates at multilateral organisations:
- The call at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for case studies on voluntary transfer of technology from one WTO Member to another.
- The initiatives at the World Health Organization (WHO) to draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for future pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
- The work of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to map the landscape of patents related to COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.
Main lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for vaccines
- Governments and multilateral institutions should promote and create the conditions for deeper and more frequent global collaboration in vaccine development, manufacturing and supply.
- IP licensing strategies can establish and build trust in collaboration while increasing global access and reducing risk to public health, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
- Expanding capabilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has the potential to develop expertise in vaccine development and manufacture at the local and regional level, creating more opportunities for future global partnerships.
What’s next
We are now presenting our findings and engaging with stakeholders.
We are developing a checklist for planning IP-related relationships and invite stakeholder input.
Contact Professor Duncan Matthews (Principal Investigator, d.n.matthews@qmul.ac.uk) or Dr Eduardo Mercadante (Post-Doctoral Research Assistant, e.mercadante@qmul.ac.uk) to collaborate.