Afrigen MD: WTO IP Waiver Important From ‘Freedom To Operate’ Standpoint

Afrigen’s MD, Petro Terblanche, discusses the operational freedom that the WTO intellectual property waiver provides for its COVID-19 vaccine being developed under the wider WHO-backed mRNA technology transfer hub initiative. The executive doesn’t anticipate big pharma pushback but says the alliance will “test the system”, though others believe the waiver in its current form doesn’t count for much.

WTO IP Waiver - Real Gains Or No Gains? • Source: Shutterstock

The World Trade Organization’s decision on a waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines may have fallen short of expectations of some stakeholders in terms of addressing wider inequities in access to lifesaving medical tools, but Afrigen Biologics, which is at the heart of the World Health Organization-backed mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub initiative in South Africa, asserts that it at least provides operational gains.

Afrigen’s managing director, Petro Terblanche told Scrip that the waiver gives the company the freedom to use ingredients that are...

Scrip Podcast

Keep up with the top pharma business news of the week. On the go.

Scrip brings you a weekly bulletin of top picks.

More from Business

Test Roche Head Of Pharma Strategy Karsten Jung On Rebuilding The Portfolio

 

The Swiss pharma company is rebalancing the portfolio, emphasizing best-in-class drugs and moving into new areas like cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

Quick Listen: Scrip’s Five Must-Know Things

 
• By 

In this week's episode: Trump’s UK drug pricing win; Novo explains semaglutide Alzheimer's rationale; J&J and Novartis on this year’s biggest M&A deals; a look at the mixed performance of CAR-Ts; and Akeso’s goals beyond ivonescimab.

Article Without An Author Listed

Here is a short description.

Spotlight On RDCs, AOCs As Leading Novel Bioconjugates[Updated]

Pipelines in bioconjugates continue to develop, from ADCs to XDCs, with radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs) and antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) leading the expansion.

More from Scrip

EHA: Lilly’s Jaypirca Posts First Phase III Triplet Win In CLL While BTK Degraders Advance

Lilly's first Phase III triplet win opens the door to a label expansion in BTK-pretreated CLL, with analysts suggesting Jaypica could attain blockbuster status. However, the window to capitalize may be brief as next-generation BTK degraders close in with head-to-head trials.

EHA: Lilly’s Jaypirca Posts First Phase III Triplet Win In CLL While BTK Degraders Advance - Clone

Lilly's first Phase III triplet win opens the door to a label expansion in BTK-pretreated CLL, with analysts suggesting Jaypica could attain blockbuster status. However, the window to capitalize may be brief as next-generation BTK degraders close in with head-to-head trials.