MPP stands ready to assist WTO, WHO and vaccine-producing countries and manufacturers to ensure rapid, equitable access to vaccines for COVID-19

Geneva – The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) welcomes the report by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response: “COVID-19: Make it the last Pandemic” published today. The report makes six urgent calls for action to stop the pandemic, including one that calls on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene major vaccine-producing countries and manufacturers to reach agreement on voluntary licensing and technology transfer arrangements for COVID-19 vaccines, including through MPP. With its experience in voluntary licensing, technology transfer and alliance management, MPP stands ready to support WHO, WTO, countries and manufacturers in this endeavour.

“The current inequity in access to vaccines is a crisis that the world cannot ignore, and the report provides concrete recommendations on how to tackle this pandemic and avoid the next one”, said Charles Gore. “We look forward to discussions during the upcoming World Health Assembly and a decision on how countries wish to address the current crisis and implement the recommendations of the Independent Panel. If countries wish MPP to take a central role, we are willing and able to do so.”

Over the past 11 years, MPP has negotiated and implemented licensing and technology transfer agreements with pharmaceutical companies that have enabled manufacturers to develop, register and supply pharmaceuticals in over 140 countries, supply 18.5 billion doses of treatment through our sublicensees and generate savings of nearly USD 2 billion. MPP’s agreements have been recognised as best practice in terms of public health, because of their transparency, flexibility, non-exclusivity and inclusion of access-friendly terms and conditions. Much of our experience can be applied to COVID-19 vaccines, working hand-in-hand with other experts, organisations and companies that have complementary expertise.

Notes:

MPP was created in 2010 by Unitaid. At that time the world was also trying to address another crisis, HIV which was having a devastating effect in low- and middle-income countries due to the lack of access to quality affordable technologies. Through voluntary licensing, millions of people living with HIV have since received access to lifesaving treatments.