WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 15, 2022) – Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) spokesperson Megan Van Etten issued the following statement after news reports of developments concerning a proposed WTO TRIPS waiver on intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines:

“The fact remains that efforts to waive intellectual property commitments are unnecessary and harmful to our collective work to end the pandemic. Strong intellectual property protections, voluntary technology transfers and partnerships are on target to facilitate the production of more than 20 billion doses in 2022 – more than enough to vaccinate the world – without confiscating intellectual property. Global leaders should now focus on the real challenges of distributing and administering vaccines to people around the world.”