Essential thread by Holger Hestermeyer on Trump’s failed attempt to put America first in acquiring a Coronavirus vaccine exclusively for the United States.
First published in March 2020.
Trump’s attempt to take over Curevac, a company developing a Coronavirus vaccine, to procure the vaccine exclusively for the United States seems to have failed.
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Trump kassiert Korb im Kampf um Impfstoffhersteller. / Frankfurter Allgemeine
The reason? For years the companies only investor – and still 80% owner – is Dietmar Hopp. Hopp was a co-founder of SAP.
Or to put it bluntly: he’s not after the money.
His words: “If we manage to find a vaccine, this is not just for a region. We want to help people in the whole world!”
But there’s more to the story: behind Curevac you will find one of the coolest initiatives ever: the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
CEPI is a public private partnership to develop vaccines. Because IP incentives such as patents did not manage to get the trick done.
Curevac and CEPI contracted to specifically cooperate on a Coronavirus vaccine with CEPI providing funding (an amount that now looks ridiculous).
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CureVac and CEPI extend their Cooperation to Develop a Vaccine against Coronavirus nCoV-2019. / Curevac
I do not have access to the contracts involved, but I assume – given the CEPI stakeholders – that they provide for adequate public access.
If, however, there is a fear that the contractual constructs used do not insure adequate worldwide public access to the vaccine (should you be successful) – dear Ingmar Hoerr – and you want some academic lawyers to help: Ready to do so and find the right people.
And just in case you were wondering: Moderna – that US company on the verge of finding a Coronavirus vaccine?
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Moderna’s Work on a Potential Vaccine Against COVID-19. / Moderna
Also CEPI funded.
Finally, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations just received another £20 million from the UK.
It also received €140 million from Germany.
As for CEPI’s financing:
Tweets posted on 15 March 2020 by @hhesterm.
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[This piece was first published as a Twitter thread and turned into the above article on 16 March 2020 with the purpose of reaching a larger audience. It has been minorly edited and corrected. | The author of the tweets writes in a personal capacity.]
