Portside

Media past, present and future

Four health organizations, working closely together, spent almost $10 billion on responding to Covid across the world. But they lacked the scrutiny of governments, and fell short of their own goals, a POLITICO and WELT investigation found.

Economically prosperous nations routinely base their policy decisions on what is best for international corporations. It will take a concerted, global effort to overcome these structural barriers to vaccine access...

We don’t need patent monopolies to finance the development of drugs or vaccines.

Two articles: Pharma Loses Vaccine IP Battle Despite Record Q1 Lobbying (Open Secrets) -- Vaccine Patent Waivers Face More Hurdles Despite Biden Support (The Hill)

"Allowing countries to manufacture locally will expedite access to vaccines and treatment, prevent unnecessary deaths, expedite global vaccination efforts, and facilitate a stronger, faster economic recovery."

At present, the U.S.—along with other wealthy nations where major pharmaceutical companies are based—is blocking India and South Africa's push for a patent waiver, which industry lobbying groups are mobilizing to crush.

Pharmaceutical companies whose vaccines were funded by massive public investments, including Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Merck, still refuse to share their intellectual property with the world.

Life should come before profit, human rights before property rights.

The myth is that pharmaceutical industry profits come from producing and selling the many therapeutic advances that industry research has generated, but the reality is far different.