The WHO Has Signed One Global License Agreement
Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : November 25, 2021World Health Organization stated Tuesday that poor and middle-income nations would be granted royalty-free access to serological technology which detects COVID-19 antibodies as part of a historic agreement to boost the manufacturing of vaccines and other medical devices.
A statement said that this information might be used to inform choices about whether or not to provide more vaccinations to prevent the disease.
The WHO Has Signed One Global License Agreement
There are now four tests that look for the occurrence of the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that have been developed after a contagion or a vaccination dose and might be used to guide choices on whether to offer booster vaccinations to protect against the sickness.
World Health Organization’s Medicines Patent Pool has inked a nonexclusive licensing deal with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). This public research agency is providing the technology as a worldwide public benefit. The CSIC is a non-profit research center dedicated to disseminating its findings for the benefit of society at large (MPP).
Developed in conjunction with the WHO, CSIC’s COVID-19 serological test is intended to permit quick manufacturing and marketing of CSIC’s COVID-19 test across the globe. The firm’s royalty-free license will be active until the final patent expires in low- and middle-income nations. Subsequently, it was announced by the business that the tests are simple to do and may be used even in remote places with just essential laboratory equipment.
As TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus, WHO director-general, hailed this cooperation, he hoped it would motivate more companies to share tools against COVID-19, which has killed 5.4 million people since it erupted in central China in December 2019.
We need an open and transparent license like this one to make genuine progress on access during and after the epidemic. Researchers working on COVID-19 vaccines, medications, and diagnostics should follow in his footsteps and assist in reversing both the pandemic’s development and the horrible international imbalance that has been brought to light as a consequence of the epidemic’s rise, he hopes
Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) currently only has one antibody test, which is an ELISA made by Roche Holding AG and can only be used with the Swiss-based drugmaker’s own device, MSF praised the agreement, noting that it was “a significant improvement” over the prior situation.
Open licenses granted by China’s Science and Technology Institute to WHO C-TAP (COVID-19 Technology Access Pool) are seen as an essential step forward in efforts to break the monopoly of large diagnostics companies like Roche and facilitate the production as well as supply of dependable ELISA antibody tests in all countries, according to the activist group.
If just one owner of the technology can provide a single license, other nations will not be able to enhance their COVID-19 antibody testing as the platform becomes more broadly accessible. COVID-19 diagnostics must be made available to the public without restriction by removing all intellectual property restrictions from all main technological components. To guarantee and increase access to COVID-19 diagnostics, open sharing, pooling, and transfer of technologies, data, and know-how is essential.
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.