At the US-led COVID-19 Global Action Meeting on Monday, India has called for "Strengthening and securing" global supply chain and implementation of vaccine patent waiver. India was represented at the virtual meet by foreign secretary Harsh Shringla.

Sources said that New Delhi emphasised that it will "rally with like-minded partners and the WHO to improve sub-optimal approval and regulatory processes which are an impediment for stable and predictable supplies" even as it called for "implementation of the TRIPS waiver". The TRIPS coronavirus&nbsp;vaccine waiver was co-sponsored by India and South Africa at the WTO and aims to diversify local manufacturing so that covid vaccines are available to large segment of the global population.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-sends-medical-supplies-to-kiribati-as-the-island-struggles-with-its-first-covid-outbreak-452833" hreflang="en">India sends medical supplies to Kiribati amid Covid outbreak</a>

US Secretary of State Blinken chaired the meeting that lasted for 2 hours. The meet saw India highlighting its development assistance to the international community by conducting 17 training modules for more than 60 countries on COVID management. Sources pointed out that at the meet India said that it will take its "experience in testing, treating and vaccinating a large population spread out in different geographies" to create "customized and tailor-made capacity building and technical training programmes" for healthcare workers in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

India has supplied over 162 million vaccine doses to 97 countries and 2 UN organizations. As part of the Quad summit outcomes of last year, a billion doses of India made vaccines will be delivered in the Indo Pacific in 2022. The Indian foreign secretary has also proposed the extension of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network of laboratories for genomic sequencing and surveillance in the neighborhood.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver-will-not-be-enough-to-bridge-supply-gap-wto-386296">Also read |&nbsp;COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO</a>

During the meet FS Shringla underlined the measures India has been taking domestically to deal with the covid crisis, which includes fully vaccinating 70% of the adult population, use of digital certification platform CoWin for vaccination purpose. New Delhi is in talks with WHO for an MoU for Sharing of CoWIN platform globally through WHO's C-TAP initiative.

Sources said, while mentioning how "India has worked effectively to contain the pandemic, protecting both lives and livelihoods", FS underscored the role of Indian Pharma Industry that "helped stabilise global supply chains for vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics during the acute phase of the pandemic".

Currently four WHO approved vaccines, COVAXIN, COVISHIELD, COVOVAX and JANSSEN,&nbsp;and three others due for approvals --CORBEVAX, ZyCov-D and Gennova--are being produced in India. It is estimated that the country has the capacity to produce 5 billion doses in 2022.

At the US-led COVID-19 Global Action Meeting on Monday, India has called for "Strengthening and securing" global supply chain and implementation of vaccine patent waiver.

At the US-led COVID-19 Global Action Meeting on Monday, India has called for "Strengthening and securing" global supply chain and implementation of vaccine patent waiver. India was represented at the virtual meet by foreign secretary Harsh Shringla. Sources said that New Delhi emphasised that it will "rally with like-minded partners and the WHO to improve sub-optimal approval and regulatory processes which are an impediment for stable and predictable supplies" even as it called for "implementation of the TRIPS waiver". The TRIPS coronavirus vaccine waiver was co-sponsored by India and South Africa at the WTO and aims to diversify local manufacturing so that covid vaccines are available to large segment of the global population. Also read | India sends medical supplies to Kiribati amid Covid outbreak US Secretary of State Blinken chaired the meeting that lasted for 2 hours. The meet saw India highlighting its development assistance to the international community by conducting 17 training modules for more than 60 countries on COVID management. Sources pointed out that at the meet India said that it will take its "experience in testing, treating and vaccinating a large population spread out in different geographies" to create "customized and tailor-made capacity building and technical training programmes" for healthcare workers in Asia, Africa and Latin America. India has supplied over 162 million vaccine doses to 97 countries and 2 UN organizations. As part of the Quad summit outcomes of last year, a billion doses of India made vaccines will be delivered in the Indo Pacific in 2022. The Indian foreign secretary has also proposed the extension of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network of laboratories for genomic sequencing and surveillance in the neighborhood. Also read | COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO During the meet FS Shringla underlined the measures India has been taking domestically to deal with the covid crisis, which includes fully vaccinating 70% of the adult population, use of digital certification platform CoWin for vaccination purpose. New Delhi is in talks with WHO for an MoU for Sharing of CoWIN platform globally through WHO's C-TAP initiative. Sources said, while mentioning how "India has worked effectively to contain the pandemic, protecting both lives and livelihoods", FS underscored the role of Indian Pharma Industry that "helped stabilise global supply chains for vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics during the acute phase of the pandemic". Currently four WHO approved vaccines, COVAXIN, COVISHIELD, COVOVAX and JANSSEN, and three others due for approvals --CORBEVAX, ZyCov-D and Gennova--are being produced in India. It is estimated that the country has the capacity to produce 5 billion doses in 2022.

At US-led COVID meet, India calls for securing global supply chains, implement vaccine patent waiver

India has suggested to the WTO members to begin text-based negotiations from mid-June on the temporary TRIPs waiver proposal to deal with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, as there is no time to lose and countries should look at concluding the talks by July-end.

The country would also like to enter into line-by-line negotiations on the text and it is open and flexible to engage in all possible formats, whether, in plenary or small group meetings, India said in a statement on TRIPs waiver proposal in the formal TRIPs Council Meeting on June 8-9 in Geneva.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-g7-nato-to-do-list-unite-allies-fight-autocracy-attack-covid-19-389886">Biden G7, NATO to-do list: Unite allies, fight autocracy, attack COVID-19</a>

"We would like negotiations to begin after this formal meeting, i.e., by mid-June...Looking at the severity of the 2nd and 3rd wave hitting different parts of the world, we have no time to lose, we look at concluding these negotiations by the end of July before we go for the summer break," the statement said.

In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19</a>.

In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. 
The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/resisting-patent-waiver-eu-submits-vaccine-plan-to-wto-389616">Resisting patent waiver, EU submits vaccine plan to WTO</a>

"We urge that as we are working on a tight schedule we can engage daily in the similar way as we are engaging to conclude the fisheries negotiations," the statement said, adding any dilly-dallying would only cause more harm especially when "we are in a race against time".

If there are any members who are still in two minds and have concerns about the text, India urged them to come to the table, join the text-based negotiations and work on thrashing out these issues, it noted.

"The proponents have no intention of continuing the waiver for an indefinite period and no intention of denying benefits of IP rights to right holders beyond the waiver period," it said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-europe-bows-to-big-pharma-blocks-patent-waiver-389544/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The scope of the proposal focuses on the prevention, containment, and treatment of COVID-19, and includes the health products and technologies needed to deal with the pandemic.

The council has agreed with consensus to start text-based negotiations on the proposal, submitted by India, and South Africa.

India has suggested to the WTO members to begin text-based negotiations from mid-June on the temporary TRIPs waiver proposal to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as there is no time to lose and countries should look at concluding the talks by July-end.

India has suggested to the WTO members to begin text-based negotiations from mid-June on the temporary TRIPs waiver proposal to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as there is no time to lose and countries should look at concluding the talks by July-end. The country would also like to enter into line-by-line negotiations on the text and it is open and flexible to engage in all possible formats, whether, in plenary or small group meetings, India said in a statement on TRIPs waiver proposal in the formal TRIPs Council Meeting on June 8-9 in Geneva. Also read | Biden G7, NATO to-do list: Unite allies, fight autocracy, attack COVID-19 "We would like negotiations to begin after this formal meeting, i.e., by mid-June...Looking at the severity of the 2nd and 3rd wave hitting different parts of the world, we have no time to lose, we look at concluding these negotiations by the end of July before we go for the summer break," the statement said. In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of COVID-19. In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets. Also read | Resisting patent waiver, EU submits vaccine plan to WTO "We urge that as we are working on a tight schedule we can engage daily in the similar way as we are engaging to conclude the fisheries negotiations," the statement said, adding any dilly-dallying would only cause more harm especially when "we are in a race against time". If there are any members who are still in two minds and have concerns about the text, India urged them to come to the table, join the text-based negotiations and work on thrashing out these issues, it noted. "The proponents have no intention of continuing the waiver for an indefinite period and no intention of denying benefits of IP rights to right holders beyond the waiver period," it said. The scope of the proposal focuses on the prevention, containment, and treatment of COVID-19, and includes the health products and technologies needed to deal with the pandemic. The council has agreed with consensus to start text-based negotiations on the proposal, submitted by India, and South Africa.

We have no time to lose, conclude talks on patent waiver proposal by July-end: India to WTO members

America seems to have woken up. It wants to share vaccines and waive vaccine patents. After hoarding them for months,&nbsp;it now wants to play the good guy.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-big-pharma-is-blocking-vaccine-patent-waivers-385905/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

When the US had announced support for patent waivers, pharma lobbyists both in America and Europe had issued statements slamming the move. Big pharma wants to keep the patents locked.

Pharma companies have been actively lobbying and trying to stop governments from waiving patents both in America and Europe. In fact, they have gone into overdrive.

An investigative website has accessed some confidential exchanges between pharma lobbyists and lawmakers. It shows big pharma trying everything to stop patent waivers. They are supplying lawmakers with talking points while drumming up opposition, even collecting signatures from lawmakers to get US President Joe Biden to reverse his policy.

A letter was recently addressed to the US president. Ideally, a letter like this should be distributed by a lawmaker when they are trying to galvanise support for a policy but this one was being shared by big pharma with friendly American lawmakers.

Reports say a lobbyist representing major companies like Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca sent out the letter in an email and asked for signatures of support from some lawmakers.

It is drafted like a warning to President Biden. It says that sharing vaccine know-how would cost American jobs and it will allow China to profit from "American innovation". The report says the letter already has 29 signatures.

Vaccine research was funded by taxpayers' money but now that vaccines are selling big, pharma giants want to own them and build pressure on the government to not share them. They are therefore manipulating the narrative.

There is a list of the talking points that America's pharma lobby has been distributing. It labels a waiver as a national security threat. The document argues that a waiver will empower Russia and allow China to "gobble up vaccine supplies and technology".

Even India figures in the campaign by big pharma. India was one of the first countries to push for the waiver at the WTO, so these lobbyists have dedicated an entire document to India.

The document talks about aid that big pharma has voluntarily shared with India during the second wave.&nbsp;

It is a three page-long document detailing the donations by different companies.&nbsp;

Usually, lobbyists use papers to guide lawmakers and influence policy but with these papers, big pharma is trying to tell lawmakers that they voluntarily step up to help in the time of need and in return for this, the government should not touch their patents.&nbsp;

However, such influence campaigns have not been limited to America. It has been launched in the European Union as well. Big pharma has the ear of top European lawmakers and officials who are supposed to guide Europe's pandemic response.

They are supposed to decide how Europe will approach the waiver at the World Trade Organisation(WTO). A watchdog recently accessed data and numbers on the meetings of European commissioners and it found top decision-makers in Europe were trapped in the echo chamber of big pharma.

From March 2020 to May 2021, European Commissioners have met with pharmaceutical lobbyists 140 times. In contrast, they met producers of genetic drugs 18 times and they hardly met advocates of patent waivers.

NGOs that support the cause of patent waivers have got just one high-level meeting in 14 months.&nbsp;

Decision makers are only engaging with lobbyists and top guys the elected officials like the president of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and her core team including the European Union's health commissioner and commissioners for trade, international partnerships and the single market.

Even major medical humanitarian organisations can't get through to them. Doctors Without Borders had written to the European vice president for trade and the commissioner for health.

They reached out twice. In a statement to WION, Doctors Without Borders confirmed that their requests for a meeting have been denied.

The leadership that's supposed to discuss patent waivers is only listening to big pharma. They don't even engage with the other side. The result is that the European Union is the biggest roadblock before vaccine patent waivers.

The bloc has been holding back India's proposal at the WTO.

In America, pharma lobbyists have been enlisting lawmakers to put pressure on the government. In Europe, they have been dictating lawmakers. Their aim is clear - block patent waivers.

America seems to have woken up. It wants to share vaccines and waive vaccine patents. After hoarding them for months, it now wants to play the good guy. Watch: When the US had announced support for patent waivers, pharma lobbyists both in America and Europe had issued statements slamming the move.

America seems to have woken up. It wants to share vaccines and waive vaccine patents. After hoarding them for months, it now wants to play the good guy. Watch: When the US had announced support for patent waivers, pharma lobbyists both in America and Europe had issued statements slamming the move. Big pharma wants to keep the patents locked. Pharma companies have been actively lobbying and trying to stop governments from waiving patents both in America and Europe. In fact, they have gone into overdrive. An investigative website has accessed some confidential exchanges between pharma lobbyists and lawmakers. It shows big pharma trying everything to stop patent waivers. They are supplying lawmakers with talking points while drumming up opposition, even collecting signatures from lawmakers to get US President Joe Biden to reverse his policy. A letter was recently addressed to the US president. Ideally, a letter like this should be distributed by a lawmaker when they are trying to galvanise support for a policy but this one was being shared by big pharma with friendly American lawmakers. Reports say a lobbyist representing major companies like Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca sent out the letter in an email and asked for signatures of support from some lawmakers. It is drafted like a warning to President Biden. It says that sharing vaccine know-how would cost American jobs and it will allow China to profit from "American innovation". The report says the letter already has 29 signatures. Vaccine research was funded by taxpayers' money but now that vaccines are selling big, pharma giants want to own them and build pressure on the government to not share them. They are therefore manipulating the narrative. There is a list of the talking points that America's pharma lobby has been distributing. It labels a waiver as a national security threat. The document argues that a waiver will empower Russia and allow China to "gobble up vaccine supplies and technology". Even India figures in the campaign by big pharma. India was one of the first countries to push for the waiver at the WTO, so these lobbyists have dedicated an entire document to India. The document talks about aid that big pharma has voluntarily shared with India during the second wave. It is a three page-long document detailing the donations by different companies. Usually, lobbyists use papers to guide lawmakers and influence policy but with these papers, big pharma is trying to tell lawmakers that they voluntarily step up to help in the time of need and in return for this, the government should not touch their patents. However, such influence campaigns have not been limited to America. It has been launched in the European Union as well. Big pharma has the ear of top European lawmakers and officials who are supposed to guide Europe's pandemic response. They are supposed to decide how Europe will approach the waiver at the World Trade Organisation(WTO). A watchdog recently accessed data and numbers on the meetings of European commissioners and it found top decision-makers in Europe were trapped in the echo chamber of big pharma. From March 2020 to May 2021, European Commissioners have met with pharmaceutical lobbyists 140 times. In contrast, they met producers of genetic drugs 18 times and they hardly met advocates of patent waivers. NGOs that support the cause of patent waivers have got just one high-level meeting in 14 months. Decision makers are only engaging with lobbyists and top guys the elected officials like the president of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and her core team including the European Union's health commissioner and commissioners for trade, international partnerships and the single market. Even major medical humanitarian organisations can't get through to them. Doctors Without Borders had written to the European vice president for trade and the commissioner for health. They reached out twice. In a statement to WION, Doctors Without Borders confirmed that their requests for a meeting have been denied. The leadership that's supposed to discuss patent waivers is only listening to big pharma. They don't even engage with the other side. The result is that the European Union is the biggest roadblock before vaccine patent waivers. The bloc has been holding back India's proposal at the WTO. In America, pharma lobbyists have been enlisting lawmakers to put pressure on the government. In Europe, they have been dictating lawmakers. Their aim is clear - block patent waivers.

How big pharma is trying to block vaccine patent waivers

US&nbsp;Trade&nbsp;Representative Katherine&nbsp;Tai&nbsp;said on Thursday that World&nbsp;Trade&nbsp;Organization negotiations over intellectual property&nbsp;waivers for COVID-19&nbsp;vaccines are a&nbsp;chance&nbsp;for the deeply divided&nbsp;trade&nbsp;body to make&nbsp;itself relevant to the world's needs.

Tai, speaking to the House Ways and Means Committee, said she was committed to entering negotiations that take into account concerns from all sides, including drug companies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-makers-oppose-ip-waiver-say-manufacturing-hurdles-slowing-rollout-379755">Vaccine makers oppose IP waiver, say manufacturing hurdles slowing rollout</a>

"The&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;has not got a record of moving quickly, or getting to yes, across 164 members who must all agree, very often,"&nbsp;Tai&nbsp;said. "This is the opportunity for the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;to&nbsp;show&nbsp;its&nbsp;relevance&nbsp;for mankind."

For the second day in a row,&nbsp;Tai&nbsp;heard criticism from Republican lawmakers that the intellectual property rights&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;will give critical biopharmaceutical technology to China, Russia and other strategic rivals while failing to increase&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;supplies.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africa-warns-of-vaccine-apartheid-if-rich-countries-hog-shots-384074">South Africa warns of 'vaccine apartheid' if rich countries hog shots</a>

Republican Representative Devin Nunes told&nbsp;Tai&nbsp;that he is concerned China is one of the few countries that could quickly manufacture messenger RNA&nbsp;vaccines, a technology partly developed with&nbsp;US&nbsp;tax dollars.

"It really seems like they (China) want to steal this very new technology, especially as it relates to the Moderna and Pfizer&nbsp;vaccines."

Tai&nbsp;said the administration was working to exercise leadership on the issue to try to reach a solution that saves lives and puts&nbsp;the world back on a faster growth track, which will benefit the United States.

India and South Africa, the proponents of the original, much broader proposal are expressing "that they feel extremely vulnerable in not having access to&nbsp;vaccines and not being able to make them either,"&nbsp;Tai&nbsp;said.

On Wednesday,&nbsp;Tai&nbsp;told a Senate hearing that companies making&nbsp;vaccines could be "a hero" by helping the world gain increased access to COVID-19&nbsp;vaccines.

She declined to discuss&nbsp;details of her consultations with drug companies before announcing the decision to join&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;negotiations last week but said that some are driven by more than their obligations to shareholders.

"Some of them do see themselves as important actors in the public health ecosystem in the world."

Tai&nbsp;said that the intellectual property&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;was just one of a number of actions that would be required to increase manufacturing and equitable distribution of&nbsp;vaccines around the world.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Thursday that World Trade Organization negotiations over intellectual property waivers for COVID-19 vaccines are a chance for the deeply divided trade body to make itself relevant to the world's needs.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Thursday that World Trade Organization negotiations over intellectual property waivers for COVID-19 vaccines are a chance for the deeply divided trade body to make itself relevant to the world's needs. Tai, speaking to the House Ways and Means Committee, said she was committed to entering negotiations that take into account concerns from all sides, including drug companies. Also read | Vaccine makers oppose IP waiver, say manufacturing hurdles slowing rollout "The WTO has not got a record of moving quickly, or getting to yes, across 164 members who must all agree, very often," Tai said. "This is the opportunity for the WTO to show its relevance for mankind." For the second day in a row, Tai heard criticism from Republican lawmakers that the intellectual property rights waiver will give critical biopharmaceutical technology to China, Russia and other strategic rivals while failing to increase vaccine supplies. Also read | South Africa warns of 'vaccine apartheid' if rich countries hog shots Republican Representative Devin Nunes told Tai that he is concerned China is one of the few countries that could quickly manufacture messenger RNA vaccines, a technology partly developed with US tax dollars. "It really seems like they (China) want to steal this very new technology, especially as it relates to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines." Tai said the administration was working to exercise leadership on the issue to try to reach a solution that saves lives and puts the world back on a faster growth track, which will benefit the United States. India and South Africa, the proponents of the original, much broader proposal are expressing "that they feel extremely vulnerable in not having access to vaccines and not being able to make them either," Tai said. On Wednesday, Tai told a Senate hearing that companies making vaccines could be "a hero" by helping the world gain increased access to COVID-19 vaccines. She declined to discuss details of her consultations with drug companies before announcing the decision to join WTO waiver negotiations last week but said that some are driven by more than their obligations to shareholders. "Some of them do see themselves as important actors in the public health ecosystem in the world." Tai said that the intellectual property waiver was just one of a number of actions that would be required to increase manufacturing and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world.

Vaccine waiver talks a chance for WTO to show its relevance: US trade chief Tai

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