In April 2022, I published an article in the London Review of Books blog where I discuss clinical trials, pharmaceutical drugs, and vaccine apartheid.
I note:
The history of HIV shows what can go wrong when drug manufacturers cling to their patents. During the early 2000s, antiretroviral drug treatments were priced at $10,000 per person per year – too expensive for most of the world. At first, pharmaceutical companies fought to uphold their intellectual property and their prices, and thousands of lives were lost. After years of activism and legal battles, however, they finally allowed the generic licensing of antiretroviral drugs. This has made them far more affordable, helping millions of HIV-positive people to live longer, healthier lives.
Living with Covid is not a matter of willing the pandemic to be over; it means distributing the medical technology and resources globally so that everyone can benefit. In simple terms, vaccinating as many people as possible – no matter their country of origin – reduces the overall risk of infection, transmission and death worldwide.
