The dangers of expanding the TRIPS waiver

World Trade Organization (WTO) members, including the United States, are considering waiving commitments to honor certain intellectual property (IP) rights on COVID-19 treatments, following a harmful and unnecessary decision to do the same for COVID-19 vaccines. This is referred to as the TRIPS waiver.

Any expansion of the TRIPS waiver would:

• Compromise global public health and harm patients
• Cede American IP to foreign countries, sending research and manufacturing jobs overseas
• Undercut American innovation and jeopardize our ability to respond to future pandemics
• Harm global collaboration and undermine U.S. leadership in the biopharmaceutical sector

Biopharmaceutical manufacturers are already sharing their IP and remain committed to providing timely global access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. There is no supply shortage for COVID-19 medicines. In fact, supply exceeds demand for vaccines and treatments.

Global collaboration is fueling medicine production and access. According to Airfinity, an international data provider, 140 voluntary licensing and manufacturing agreements for COVID-19 treatments have been signed since the start of the pandemic, covering more than half the world’s population, to ensure that more than 125 low- and middle-income countries can access needed medical innovation.

The global IP system enabled America’s world-leading biopharmaceutical industry to innovate and produce safe and effective vaccines and treatments in record time.

Policymakers should reject any expansion of the TRIPS waiver and focus on last-mile distribution and administration challenges around the world to make a real impact.

To read more about the harms of TRIPS waiver expansion, click here.